The Devil's Colt: Rise of a Hunter (Updated!)
by Megawrath
Summary: Betrayed by his Order, and on the run from the creatures of the Underworld, Jonathan Hyodo's life has been a constant struggle for survival. Searching for answers to the family curse that has plagued his name, Jon attends classes at a private University named Kuoh Academy. (Lemons, Limes, and plenty of violence. All centered around the lovely ladies of Kuoh and an OC Gunslinger)
1. Chapter 1

**::Author's Note::**

**It's updated!**

**I've been meaning to come back to this and Iron out all the kinks. I've taken all the criticism and comments that were given and tightened the narrative to something more consistent with my original vision. You'll find what I've done is made just enough edits to make the story more consistent with Jon's character, without compromising what I've already written too terribly.**

**Also, for your reading pleasure, I've made the Lemony scenes far more detailed and descriptive. I feel like I really didn't deliver as well as I could have with those the first go around, and so I've made substantial changes in that regard. Also, I'm keeping all my original notes from the first draft the same for the sake of nostalgia as well as to keep the original thanks for all my supporters of this work. So for all my new readers, if you're wondering why the Author's Notes don't match with the story you're reading, please know that every comment that's mentioned in those notes has been FIXED. Or at least, I've tried to fix them. I'll leave whether or not I succeeded up to you, the reader.**

**I hope you all enjoy.**

**::End Note::**

"In his heart lay an unquenchable fire."

"The center of all energy."

"A stout and fearless soul, who's destined path would see the hand of fate itself brought to heel."

"It was said that the fairest creatures, both light and dark, were drawn to this ancient beast, and he in turn was drawn to them."

"For only a dragon possessed the strength to stake his claim on a treasure horde."

"Only a dragon could bend the hearts of Earth, Heaven, and Hell."

* * *

Rias Gremory, the buxom beauty of Kuoh University, stared transfixed at the enchanted mirror in front of her. She wasn't aware of it, but she was smiling. Something she always seemed to do whenever she was watching him.

A knock on the door broke her trance as an ebon haired woman with a figure as stunning as the Crimson Queen of Kuoh's entered the room and bowed her head respectfully.

"How's he doing?" She asked in a soft voice.

Her smile grew. "Better than I could have expected."

The dark haired girl quirked her head at the President of the Occult Research Club. "I still don't understand why you're so fixated on this one particular human, Ms. President. I've never seen you so enraptured by a potential servant before."

Rias gave her Queen a curious look. "I'm enraptured?"

She nodded, adding with a mischievous grin. " Every time I catch you gazing into your looking glass you have the most curios little smile on your face. Is there something you're not telling me?"

The scarlet haired beauty sighed before turning her attention back to the mirror hovering in front of her. "Akeno, let me ask you something. What do you define as strength?"

Again, her Queen gave the head of the ORC a curious look. "In what regard?"

"I mean, do you consider power alone to define strength?"

Akeno shook her head. "I don't believe so. Power can be inherited, after all." A sour look crept over her features. "Some feel they are entitled to it."

A pit formed in Rias's stomach. She knew all too well whom Akeno was alluding to. "So then what, pray tell, defines strength?"

Akeno thought for a moment on her question before answering. "I would say strength is defined by a person's character. Their will to live, to overcome any obstacle no matter the perils." She frowned. "But such strength is a rare quality these days."

"It is." Rias observed, biting on her thumb thoughtfully as her attention returned to her looking glass. "It is, indeed."

* * *

Jon lurched up from his bed, his breath ragged, his skin damp with cold sweat. He tossed his buzz lightyear sheets aside and grabbed his scooby doo flashlight. Looking around the room, his heartbeat slowly began to subside from a roaring drum to a dull thud. As he tried to ease his racing heart, he repeated the words his mother always used to calm him down.

"There's no such thing as monsters."

As far back as he could remember, young Jonathan had always been particularly sensitive to the sights and sounds around him. Every creak in the house, every leaking pipe, he could hear it all. Even smells were something he could distinguish with ease. The mildew behind the wall of his room had become particularly obnoxious as of late. But no matter how many things he heard, or things he smelled, nothing could compare to the things he sensed.

It was always the same. That overwhelming feeling of dread that would hang over him like a shroud. Like eyes were watching him from every direction. Waiting. Lurking. He would take a deep breath every time this feeling came on and remind himself once again of what his mother would say.

"There's no such thing as monsters."

He needed to be brave. Even if the shroud of dread loomed stronger now than it ever did before, he wasn't allowed to be the same old cry baby he used to be. He had a little sister now. One he could hear crying in her little crib for someone to come to her.

"Why isn't mom or dad coming to get her?"

He did his best to swallow the fear forming in his stomach and slowly crept out of his room. If she hadn't woken up then it was up to him to protect her. The day she was born Dad made him promise to protect his little sister. He told Jon to be a brave older brother and look after her no matter what.

Jon made his way down the dark hallway, clutching his scooby doo flashlight to his chest. Though he could see perfectly well in the dark, the flashlight comforted him.

Suddenly, his little sister stopped crying. A chill ran down Jon's spine as his knees began to buckle. Every instinct in his body told him to run, but he couldn't. He needed to check on her no matter what.

His trembling hand reached for the doorknob and turned.

"Emily? Emily, it's okay. I'm here." He tried to make his voice as reassuring as possible as he opened the door.

Relief washed over him as he caught sight of his mother's silhouette. She turned and put a finger up to her mouth to shush him as she rocked Emily in her arms.

His breathing returned to normal and he slowly closed the door. So long as he was up, he decided he'd help himself to some juice for being so brave. Mom and Dad wouldn't get mad, he'd earned it after all.

Jon descended the stairs and went into the Kitchen. There he turned on the lights and blanched, becoming frozen to the spot in terror.

She was there, on the floor in front of him soaked in her own blood. His mother's eyes were rolled back in her pale, lifeless face. Two puncture marks on her neck were draining the crimson fluid onto the floor.

He couldn't move. He couldn't even scream. At that moment every thought in his being began to ask the same question.

If his mom was dead, then who was with his sister?

He bolted back upstairs screaming at the top of his lungs for help. He continued screaming even as he darted into his sister's room. The figure he had mistaken for his mom turned its head a hundred and eighty degrees and smiled down at him with inhuman, blood drenched, teeth and glowing yellow eyes. Once again, Jon was fixed to the spot.

The figure dropped Emily's lifeless body onto the floor and turned towards him. Walking ever so slowly towards the paralyzed boy. His mother had lied, monsters do exist.

He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

* * *

Jon lurched up from the bed in a cold sweat, panting heavily. It had happened again, same as most nights. That God awful dream bringing up an even more wretched past. He quickly rose from the bed and made his way to the bathroom to splash water on his face. Once he was done, he took a moment to lean over the sink and catch his breath, letting the cool liquid dribble over his face and down his sculpted chin.

"Just a dream. Just a dream." He chanted to himself. Slowly the thudding sound of his heart beating in his eardrums dulled and faded away. As he finally began to relax, the sound of a figure stirring in the bed and a small feminine moan caught his ear. He swore under his breath, a twisted smile forming on his face. He had forgotten he wasn't alone, nor was this his apartment.

The covers stirred and slid away to reveal a gorgeous young woman with cream skin and raven hair. She stretched one slender arm above her head, bracing it with the other as she popped her back, another series of tired but no less erotic moans escaping her lips revealing two healthy endowments on her chest.

The details of the previous night had been lost to the booze, which would explain the dull throb in his temples. But if one thing did stick out clearly it was the absolute bombshell he met at the bar the night before. This woman he was now apparently sleeping next to.

"Morning." She purred before rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I didn't mean to wake you up." He replied with sincerity. "Truth be told this isn't the first time this has happened."

She giggled in a bubbly voice, laying flat on her stomach with her arms crossed under her busty chest and her legs swinging playfully in the air. "Which part? You ending up in a strange girl's apartment? Or waking up and freaking out?"

"Both, if I'm honest." He took a moment to collect his thoughts and try his best to put together what had happened. Last he remembered he was at the bar with his buddies trying to be the designated wingman of the evening. As usual he had a bit too much to drink and spent more time shamelessly flirting with girls by himself than he did actually helping out his bros.

His eye had caught her almost immediately. After all, she was easily the most attractive young thing there that night. He remembered saying something to her to break the ice but couldn't remember what. Knowing him though it was probably something stupid. That was always his strategy. If they laugh at the really stupid jokes you know they're into you.

"Listen, while I hate to out myself here. I feel I owe you an apology. I've completely forgotten your name." He confessed.

She smiled in an amused manner which put him at ease. "At least you're honest."

"Can I trust I was at least a gentleman?" He asked with a cheeky grin.

She scoffed. "Hardly!" The naked beauty righted herself up and turned around before sitting down on her haunches and lifting her hair up, treating him to a view of her shapely rear now decorated in light bruises and welts. "I haven't been spanked that hard in a long time."

He winced. "Hope I didn't cross a line."

"Not particularly. Considering I asked for it." She caressed the red ring around her neck. "Though the belt was certainly a nice surprise. You learn that from roping steer?"

He chuckled at her little jibe. While he may have inadvertently told her where he was from last night, it was more likely his accent just gave him away as being from the American Southwest.

She slowly stood up from the bed in all her nude glory and stretched. "I think I'll make some coffee. You're welcome to join me after you clean up a bit." She then added with a devious little smirk. "Maybe then I'll consider giving you my name."

Jon watched her hips sway in the dark as she sauntered off to the closet before slapping himself the moment she was out of sight. He shook his head, chuckling at his moronic reflection in the mirror.

"You damn fool. What's the point of wild sex if you're too plastered to remember it?"

* * *

Jon finished freshening up before taking a moment to inspect himself in the mirror and getting dressed. Though technically half Japanese, Jonathan Hyodo looked almost completely American. Owing most of his genes to his father's side of the family. The only thing he had really inherited from his mother was his Auburn hair and hazel eyes. Some of the ladies on campus had taken to calling him Chisana Kuma or "Little Bear". Mostly due to his tree trunk like arms and impressive stature. Whether this was meant as a term of endearment or as a nickname designed to poke fun at him was something he had yet to figure out.

Needless to say, Jon stuck out like a sore thumb on his College campus.

Once he was done in the bathroom, he picked his clothes up off the ground and sniffed them. Sure enough they still reeked of the bar, but it was better than nothing. He slipped back into his faded jeans, solid navy button up, leather jacket, worn sneakers, and the well used belt, before heading to the kitchen.

She had dressed in a dark purple nightie that seemed to be a size too small for her chest. As Jon sat down at the table in her tiny kitchen he was treated to a shot of her see through black lace lingerie bottoms as she reached up into a cupboard for creamer. Occasionally her eyes would drift back towards him when she thought he wasn't looking.

"So how tall are you, exactly?" She asked curiously while still looking for the creamer.

His lip curled into a knowing smirk before shrugging his shoulders. "Last I checked I'm about six foot four."

"Mhmm." She responded very approvingly. "So what brings a southern boy from the US like yourself all the way to Japan?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I was a student at Kuoh?"

"No way! That's my school!" She replied in total shock. "How in the world did I miss you? You're not exactly hard to notice."

He chuckled. "I'm actually here on a scholarship. Believe it or not, I'm technically half Japanese."

She looked at him in disbelief. "I never would have guessed."

"No one ever does. I inherited practically nothing from my mother…" His smile wavered ever so slightly as he glanced at the dragon's mark on his left hand. "...nothing physical anyway."

"That's an interesting tattoo. How long have you had it?"

He placed his hands back in his pockets. "Awhile. It's been more of a nuisance than you might expect."

An awkward silence hung in the air.

"So how did your parents meet?" She asked, breaking the tension.

"I'm a Marine brat." He explained. "Dad was stationed at Okinawa when he met my Mother."

She smiled brightly at him. "My Dad's an Admiral in the US Navy. Though I do look more like my mother than him."

That explained a lot. For starters why her english was so flawless, but also why the decor in her apartment was so familiar. Most of it seemed to be inspired by Western culture.

"So do I finally get to know your name?"

She poured two cups of coffee and added cream before offering him one and sitting down at the table opposite of him.

"Yuma Amano." She introduced herself politely.

"Jonathan Hyodo." He replied, taking a sip of his coffee. "Jon for short."

"I remember. Believe it or not, I was actually sober last night."

He chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah...sorry about that." A thought occurred to him as he scanned over Yuma one last time. After seeing her in the light, a nagging thought kept pressing against the back of his mind. "Strange question, but how old are you again?"

She cocked her head curiously at him before offering a charming smile.

"I'm sixteen. If you want to stay, I'm sure Daddy will be home any minute."

The entirety of Jon's six foot four frame turned white as a sheet. He shot up out of his chair like it had just caught fire. "I think I should leave."

"Oh my God, I was kidding!" She assured in between bouts of hysterical giggling. "But you should have seen the look on your face!"

He slumped back in his chair as a wave of relief washed over him. "That was so not funny."

"It so was." She insisted while still giggling under her breath. "I'll be twenty in December. And before you have another panic attack, I've slept with guys a lot older than you so you can relax."

Jon sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Still…" He looked around the apartment again. "...wait, so how does a nineteen year old afford a nice place like this?"

"I work part time at a Hostess Club."

He cocked a brow at her. "So…"

"Kidding! Totally kidding!" She laughed at him again. "I told you my Dad's an Admiral. Most of this stuff is gifts from my parents."

"I see." He polished off the rest of his coffee and stood up. "Listen, as wonderful as this little chat has been, I have class in a few hours." He stood up from his seat after putting his mug down.

"Wait." She stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her demeanor suddenly changed. A small frown formed on her lips as she cast her eyes to the ground and a slight blush crept over her cheeks. "Listen, all kidding aside, I really enjoyed last night. Even if you don't remember that much of it."

He gave her a charming smile. "For what it's worth I'm just glad I got to meet you."

"Me too. Which is why…" She placed a piece of paper in his hand she had been clutching in her palm. "...I want to give you my number."

He glanced down at the number on the piece of paper in his hand curiously. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. Her face was still bright red as she fidgeted in place. "I'll be honest...I really like you. And I'm not just saying that because you're easy to look at. The more we talked last night the more I felt a connection."

He couldn't help himself.

"Was that before or after I started choking you with my belt?"

She elbowed him in the ribs, her face somehow turning even more red. "Ass…"

Jon rubbed his injured side, snickering in spite of himself. He held the paper in his hand for a moment before finally nodding. "Sure, I'll call you. That is, if I don't see you on campus first."

Her eyes lit up as a radiant smile formed on her face.

"I'm so glad you feel the same way!" She beamed.

He returned her smile, though on the inside a pit was already forming in his stomach. "I wish I could stay longer but I do really need to go."

She nodded before showing him to the front door. "The campus isn't far from here. Just two blocks down and then a right turn. You can't miss it from there."

"Got it." He made his way through the door and turned around. "I guess I'll see you around."

"You better." She stood up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek before whispering in his ear. "Because next time I want you to remember all the naughty things you do to me."

He felt a shiver run down his spine. If it wasn't for classes he would have probably suggested another round. But as it was, leaving now was probably for the best.

"See you later, Cowboy." She added in a sultry voice before closing the door.

Jon took a moment to glance down at the piece of paper still in his hand before stuffing it back into his pocket. A melancholy sigh escaped his lips.

"Ah, Jonathan. You went and did it again. You know better than to go messing with a young things heart like that." He felt a pang of guilt stab him as he turned to leave.

Jon stared at the mark on his left hand. With any luck, she would quickly lose interest and move on to finding a better man. Someone who wouldn't weigh her down with such a deadly burden.

* * *

The moment he was back out on the street, Jon pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket and popped one in his mouth. He pulled out a stainless steel lighter with an M-16 engraved into the side and lit up before taking a long drag from his smoke and blowing a cloud into the early morning air.

The sun had not yet risen as he made his way down the empty street towards campus. His thoughts were wholly consumed by the dreadful image that had played in his head the night before.

The last memory he had of seeing his family alive.

Young Jonathan had shut his eyes and prepared for the worst. It was at that exact moment he heard the sound of a shotgun being cocked behind him followed by a loud blast of buckshot. The monstrous creature in front of him went flying backwards just as Jon turned around to see his father aiming the still smoking barrel.

"Dad?" He asked weakly.

"Get downstairs and out the front door, Jon! Run to the neighbors!" His father ordered.

"But…"

"GO!" He barked.

Young Jon fled down the stairs and ran for his life. Tears streamed down his face as he heard the sounds of an inhuman shriek followed by another blast of buckshot. He didn't look back. The eight year old boy ran as fast as his legs could carry him out the door and into the cold air of night.

Jon's mood began to shift. He hated being reminded of his horrible past. But try as he might, not even sleep seemed to offer a reprieve from the dark memories that taunted him.

As he took another puff of his smoke, a strange sound caught his ears. The sound of a woman yelling in Japanese two blocks away.

He swore under his breath. Sometimes his heightened senses proved to be more of a curse than a blessing, as they often lead to him winding up in conflicts he had no business in.

"Well...better go check that out." He relented before tossing his cigarette to the ground and stubbing it out.

Jon darted two blocks towards the sound. While no one else could have possibly heard it, Jon's acute ears picked up the arguing voices almost immediately.

"I said stay away you perv!" The young woman being assaulted slapped the pushy older man's hand away.

"Aww come on, baby. I'm just trying to be a gentleman." He assured while backing her further into the wall.

"What kind of gentleman follows a girl into the ladies bathroom, huh?" She challenged, feeling a wall of stone brick press against her back.

Jon rounded the corner just in time to see him press both hands against the wall, cutting off all escape routes. "Don't be like that. You and I could have a lot of fun together."

The young woman turned her head away and shut her eyes. Her whole body was trembling.

Jon sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. Seems even this far from the South there were still plenty of monsters to be found. "Alright, what's going on here?" He asked in Japanese.

The older man shot him a death glare. "This is none of your business, Gaijin! Stay out of it!"

"Look buddy. I don't know as much as I should about this country considering it's my mother's birth nation." He calmly explained. "But back where I'm from, if a lady politely tells you she's not interested, it's time to walk away." He got directly in the older man's face. "Otherwise there's likely to be someone else who comes along and asks you a little less politely."

"Fuck off, asshole!" The older man shoved Jon backwards. Or rather, he attempted to.

He popped his neck and glared at the man. "You really shouldn'ta done that."

His fist connected with the man's jaw faster than he could react, sending him careening into the nearby dumpster. With one more well placed hook Jon sent the man tumbling backwards into the bin.

Jon popped his knuckles and walked back over to the trembling young blonde dressed in a rather revealing cocktail dress and fur coat. She stared up at him curiously, still wary of his intentions.

"You gonna be alright?" He asked in English.

She nodded timidly. "I think so, thank you."

He cocked one of his reassuring smiles at her. "I don't wanna tell you your business, Ma'am. But you outta consider finding some better friends."

She looked at him incredulously before breaking out into a small smile. She started giggling after a moment, finally realizing he was making a joke. The woman bowed her head politely to him. "Thank you, Sir. You saved me."

He shook his head. "Nothing to it. You take care of yourself now, you hear?" Jon turned to leave before the girl stopped him.

"Actually…" She fidgeted in place, staring down at the ground with a slight blush on her cheeks. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking me home? I'm scared to go the rest of the way by myself."

He scowled angrily while his back was still turned. The stench of death was heavy in the air. As Jon turned around he put his charming smile back on and nodded.

"I'd be right happy to. Just give me one moment to finish up some business."

She beamed at him, placing both hands against her chest. "Thank you!"

He walked back over to the bin and peered down at the would be attacker. Though still a bit loopy he would live.

"Dammit. Why'd you have to interfere?" The man asked bitterly while spitting out a couple of teeth.

"You should be thanking me." Jon replied rather cryptically. "I just saved your ass from an ugly death."

The man stared up at him in confusion before Jon slammed the lid of the bin down on him. He then dusted his hands and offered the young woman his arm.

"Shall we?"

She wrapped her slender frame around his arm, pressing her healthy bust against him. "So long as you're ready."

He left the alley with the young beauty on his arm. Ignoring the stench of death in the air and the familiar dread that enveloped him like a shroud.

* * *

Jon escorted the young lady, whom he learned was named Tohka, back to her home situated on a stretch of road away from any other buildings. At first glance, Tohka appeared to be not much older than Yuma, but he knew looks could be deceiving. She was certainly pretty, and more than a little heated if the way she gripped his arm was any indication.

She played her part well. A lesser man would probably assume this was the luckiest day of his life.

"Well, looks like we're here. Anything else I can do before I take my leave?"

Tohka gripped his arm insistently, her face flushed and her eyes filled with want. "Would you...like to come inside?" She asked in a heated voice.

He shrugged before plastering a fake grin on his face. "If you insist."

She lead him by one hand to the steps of her home, her curvy backside bouncing from left to right with every step she took. Tohka finally released his hand and opened the door whilst beckoning him inside with a wave of her little finger.

"Right this way."

Jon stepped inside, his hands securely in his jacket pockets. Looking around the small one story home, he noted the interior looked normal enough, but the smell in the air told a different story.

As soon as they were inside, Tohka took a few steps forward. Keeping her back turned to him, she dropped her coat onto the floor, revealing her slender, backless dress and turning two sultry eyes to him.

"I was hoping you'd let me thank you properly for saving me. I have a little surprise waiting for you in the bedroom if you're interested." She shot back playfully.

"You can thank me however you so choose, Darlin." He replied, continuing to act dumb.

"In that case, follow me my big strong hero."

He bit his tongue to keep himself from laughing. She was really laying it on thick and the thought of some hapless guy falling for this routine was almost too amusing to handle.

Jon watched her disappear down the hallway before following. As he walked through the upscale home he passed by a trail of discarded clothes leading to the bedroom. First a pair of stiletto heels, then a carelessly discarded red cocktail dress, next was a size D red bra, and finally a matching red thong.

He followed the trail of clothes all the way back to the bedroom, whereupon he was treated to the sight of Tohka splayed out on her side seductively at the center of the bed, her shoulder length hair brushed to one side, without so much as a pair of underwear to cover herself.

"Well what are you waiting for?" She pouted, her face flushed. "I don't do this sort of thing for every guy, you know?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Look Doll, as flattered as I am for the show, I think you can go ahead and drop the whole grateful damsel in distress routine now."

Tohka gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?" She brushed the spot on the bed next to her whilst biting her lower lip in need. "Aren't you gonna come take care of me? I'm so wet I could-"

"Oh come on!" He interjected, an amused grin on his face. "You can't seriously tell me that works on other men. No guy on Earth is that thick, right?" He sighed and shook his head. "Oh who am I kidding. Of course they are."

She gave him an annoyed frown. "Look, if you're not interested all you had to do was say so."

"Drop the act, sugar. I know a vampire when I see one."

A pang of fear flashed across her face. "V...vampire? What are you talking about?" She chuckled nervously.

"I'll give you credit for the commitment. But at this point you're just deluding yourself. The stench of blood in this place is so heavy I can practically taste it."

Her lips curled into a twisted grin. Slowly, she sat up on the foot of the bed and stood.

"So you figured it out. My, but aren't we observant." Her voice had completely changed. No longer did she sound like that frail little flower in heat. Now her words dripped of malevolence and death. "So if I may ask, what was it that gave me away?"

"Aside from the stench of death, there's one major flaw with your little hunting strategy."

She cocked a brow at him. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"It's simple really. Any man with even a shred of common sense would know that this is a setup. No normal lady would invite a complete stranger back to her home after being assaulted like that."

"I guess it's fortunate for me then, that most men don't have a shred of common sense." Tohka chuckled sardonically. "But I'm more curious about you, personally. You appear to be human, yet you radiate with untapped power." She licked her lips at the thought. "What did you say your name was again, handsome?"

"Names Jonathan Hyodo. I'm just a simple college student, nothing more."

"Well Jonathan Hyodo, as amusing as this has been, I'm afraid we'll have to cut our time together short. The sun will be rising soon, so I'm afraid you have to die now."

Her hair turned white as a sheet as her features twisted and contorted into a horrible shell of what they once were. Her fingers grew talons and her fangs grew to monstrous proportions. The blonde beauty was no more. Tohka had morphed into a hunchback bat-like creature complete with wings.

"You had the chance for your last moments to be that of pure ecstasy! Now you shall know only pain as I-"

The creature let out an inhuman wail as its knees spontaneously exploded. Separating its shins and feet from the rest of its body. The vampire squirmed and writhed in pain on the floor.

"Aggggh! My legs! What did you do to my legs?!"

He had drawn the weapon so fast she hadn't even had time to register what happened until it was far too late. In his hand was a still smoking Smith and Wesson Model 26 with pearl grips.

"A gun?! Impossible! Human weapons cannot hurt me!"

"These ain't your average rounds in this thing." He retorted. "I melted down a maltese cross made of pure Macedonian silver to create the alloy in these .44 explosive tipped cartridges. The core is mercury charged and the weapon itself has been blessed by the Vatican." He cocked back the hammer and aimed directly at her head. "For all your talk of being invincible you lot sure go down easy enough if you've got the right arsenal."

"Damn you! There wasn't supposed to be a hunter here! The Fallen Angels would have warned us!"

"Yeah, about that. See, I ain't exactly your typical hunter." He showed her the mark on his hand. "If you'd been paying attention you would have seen this thing. Thanks to it, the Order and I have had a bit of a falling out."

The creature reeled in horror. "Th..that's the mark of the Red Dragon Emperor!"

He took out his pack of cigarettes and popped another one in his mouth. "For the record, I didn't ask for this infernal thing. Hell, I'm still not entirely sure what it is. I just know you lot are drawn to it like flies to a cow pat." He pulled out his lighter and lit his smoke.

The creature cursed at him. Hissing and snarling as it backed away from his mark.

"This just ain't your lucky day, is it?" He goaded, taking a puff of his smoke, his gun still pointed at the vampire. "You were probably drawn to my mark without even realizing what this thing is."

The creature morphed back into the angelic form he remembered from earlier. The young blonde clutched at her bleeding stumps while tears streamed down her pain ridden face.

"Jon, please! Please don't hurt me anymore!" She pleaded in between pitiful sobs. "I'm sorry for what I did. I was wrong. But I beg you, please. I'll do anything if you let me live."

He cocked a brow at her before taking the smoke from his mouth. "Anything?"

She beamed up at him. "Yes anything. I'll give you whatever you desire most if you just let me-"

A loud crack of the gun followed by her brains splattering the surrounding walls brought an abrupt halt to the conversation as total silence enveloped the room.

Jon holstered the gun beneath his jacket and took a long drag from his cigarette.

"In that case, when you get to hell, tell the bitch who killed my family I said hello." He responded bitterly to the remains of the vampire Tohka.

The corpse began to dissolve into a pile of coagulated blood on the floor. All around him, the rooms lavish interior began to peel away. Revealing a derelict, run down building devoid of any human life. With the vampire's death, the illusion slowly began to dispel itself.

Jon exited the roach infested building and returned to the street. The first rays of dawn were approaching and the streets of the town his campus was located on were beginning to spring to life once more.

With a heavy heart, Jon slowly made his way back to campus. The eyes of thousands of other creatures still on the back of his head. That feeling of dread hadn't gone away.

Then again, it never did.


	2. Chapter 2

::Author's Note::

Welp, I asked for feedback and within the first hour I get messaged asking to post the next chapter. So here we go ya'll, chapter two! There's something I wanted to address before continuing the story. I don't consider Issei Hyoudou to be a bad character by any stretch of the imagination. I think he works perfectly well for what the original Highschool DxD Canon set out to do.

That being said, I wanted to offer my interpretation of the series, without being constrained by the original canon too much. If I wrote Issei, I'd feel obligated to write the character as most people expect him to be. Whereas I wanted to bring something different to the table.

With that out of the way, I present to you chapter two.

::End Note::

"A Hunter?" Akeno asked.

Rias nodded her head, still transfixed to her looking glass. "He was trained by the American Chapter of the Saintly Knights of Michael."

She frowned softly. "So not only does he possess one of the thirteen Longinus, he also belongs to the order of one of our greatest enemies. It's no wonder he is constantly haunted by dark creatures. But what is an American Hunter doing in Japan?"

"He used to belong to them." Rias very quickly corrected.

"He's been exiled?"

She nodded as a slight frown formed on her expression. "The Order betrayed him some time ago." She then added with a somber tone. "He has...nowhere to go."

Akeno clutched at her heart and her eyes closed in pain. "That poor boy."

"And yet despite everything he's been through still he persists. Coming so far as Japan to find the answers to his tragic fate."

"To have made it this far with so many tracking him down…" Akeno bit down on her lower lip, a hint of excitement in her voice, as well as the subtlest note of arousal.

Rias couldn't help but giggle at her Queen Piece. "Do you understand now what I meant when I asked you about the definition of strength?"

Akeno nodded, a look of heated intrigue on her face as she leaned her ample chest over the President's desk for a better view. "I do. And I think I understand why you've spent so much time in front of your looking glass as well."

* * *

Jon tossed the cigarette on the curb and stubbed it out before ascending the stairs up to his college campus. Kuoh Academy was a decent university for what it was worth. Small, quiet, and away from anything big enough to paint a target on his back. While it used to be a female only campus, the Private University had recently opened its doors to male students as well. That wasn't the reason he came here, sure, but Jon would be lying if he said it wasn't a nice perk.

Strangely enough, his sixth sense never seemed to kick in on campus. Something he wasn't entirely ungrateful for. It was nice having a place where he could at least pretend he was safe, and the energetic student population ensured his aura got lost in the crowd. All things considered it was a decent enough hiding place while he attended his studies.

But he knew better than to believe this could ever be a permanent solution. Eventually someone would find him again. It was only a matter of time.

"Jonathan Hyodo!"

Jon's train of thought was interrupted by a loud voice screaming his name. A short bald twenty year old came running up to him before attempting to flying high kick him in the gut. Jon easily sidestepped the attack causing the assailant to go careening merrily into the wall behind him.

"Morning Matsuda." He calmly replied as his friend peeled himself from the brick he had smashed into.

"Cut the crap, you traitor!" Matsuda pointed at him accusingly after recovering from his head wound. "You totally ditched us last night!"

"Hold on Matsuda. Let's not jump to any hasty conclusions. We should give him a chance to explain his actions and plead his case."

Jon looked behind him to see a familiar glasses wearing male with a bowl cut. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "And a good morning to you as well Motohama. You two certainly seem on fire today."

Motohama pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Jonathan Hyodo, you stand accused of severe violations to the Bro Code. Tell me, where were you the night of January 28th at 10:32 PM?"

He groaned while stuffing his hands back in his jacket. "I was with you two at the bar."

Motohama nodded before continuing his impeccable narration. "And were you or were you not seen leaving said bar with a smoking hot Perfect Ten on your arm?"

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I might have been."

"Mhmm." An intense glare sheened off his glasses. "And did you not then take said beauty back to her apartment to make sweet unbelievably passionate love all night long?"

"Well I wouldn't go that far. But we did end up back at her place." Jon admitted.

"So the traitor confesses!" Motohama pointed at him just as accusingly. "I have no choice but to find you guilty!"

"Ten consecutive life sentences! One for every inch he gave her while his buddies remained blue balled!" Matsuda added.

"Come on fellas." Jon intervened, raising his hands up defensively. "I know I bailed on ya. But in my defense, I warned you not to let me drink too much. I didn't even know what I was doing."

"This court finds your defense inadmissible! Ignorance of the party foul does not excuse it!" Motohama replied.

"Look, if you'd have seen the figure this pretty thing had on her, you wouldn't have blamed me for taking off the way I did." Jon retorted.

"We did see!" Matsuda responded angrily. "We saw her perfectly as you left us in the dust!"

"Bust size forty two, waist twenty eight inches, hip size 36 inches." Motohama stated from memory.

"Now you see, that right there…" Jon pointed at Motohama chastisingly. "...is why you got slapped last night. I keep telling you two to tone it down a notch and quit behaving like a dog with a bone."

"Hey, don't try to change the subject!" Motohama shot back. "We're talking about your screw ups here, not ours."

"You were supposed to help us tap that perfect ass last night! Not run off with it yourself!"

Jon shook his head in disappointment. "Remind me why it is I hang out with you two bozos?"

"Because we're the only guys on campus who speak enough english to understand that thick accent of yours." Motohama reminded him.

"Ah yeah, knew there had to be a reason." He shrugged. "Look, I tell you what. To make it up to you, we can practice talking to a few ladies on campus after my class. Sound fair?"

They both looked at him warily.

"You promise to help us out this time?" Matsuda asked him suspiciously.

He raised his right hand in the air. "Scouts honor."

They both looked at each other as if considering his proposition before nodding their heads.

"Fine. Consider this your community service."

* * *

There was nothing left of the house save for a smoldering wreck. Cops, firefighters, and paramedics surrounded the ashes of Jon's family home while the little boy sat on the back of one of the Ambulances, a blanket wrapped over him, numb to the world.

While the cops discussed evidence and set up a perimeter for when Arson arrived, a group of Priests watched from the nearby crowd. Their eyes keenly trained on the boy in the ambulance.

"Is that him?" One of the Priests asked the other.

"Yes. Father Richard managed to save him and drive the Vampire off."

"A shame he didn't survive. Still, at least the Sacred Gear did not fall into the wrong hands."

"True enough. It is God's will that we deliver the Gauntlet to the Church."

"And the child?"

"With the right training, he may be of use to us. For now, we should put him with the other orphans. As was his father's final request."

"Do you think he has any idea of the awesome destiny that lies before him?"

"With any luck, no he won't."

The two priests ducked under the caution tape and made their way over to the Ambulance. The boy, wrapped in his blanket, continued to stare at the red dragon mark that had appeared on the back of his left hand.

* * *

Jon skimmed over the contents of the old book laid out in front of him. Occasionally he would glance over the translation book he had next to the text he was trying to read. While he knew enough Japanese to be decently fluent, he wasn't nearly as competent reading it and required a translation guide for most of the book. The process was agonizingly slow, especially considering half the time he wasn't a hundred percent sure he got it right.

The thing that was most frustrating, however, was the fact that some of the words didn't even seem to be in Japanese. There were several phonetic symbols that appeared multiple times throughout the book that didn't seem to have any known meaning. At least not according to his dictionary.

Two symbols in particular kept appearing over and over again. Jon made sure to make a note of them in his research journal, but no matter where he looked there didn't seem to be anything in the University's library on the subject.

He groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose to relieve the stress. He'd been at Kuoh for three months now and he still felt no closer to any answers about this damn mark on his hand.

"What the hell does this mean?" He asked aloud to himself.

"It's ancient aramaic."

Jon's body seized and his entire frame jerked in the direction of the voice that spoke behind him. His hand instinctively clutched at the revolver he had concealed in his jacket.

The voice that spoke let out a quiet startled gasp which was quickly replaced with a small effeminate laugh. "Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you."

For a moment, Jon just stared. He wasn't sure what to be more surprised about. The fact that a student had managed to sneak up on him in the first place, or that that student happened to be a particularly gorgeous redhead. It took a lot to be able to take someone like Jon's breath away, yet she did it with little more than a glance.

"It's alright." He responded while quickly regaining his composure. "I just didn't hear you." That fact alone unsettled him more than he cared to admit. Jon could hear a pin drop from the other side of the building if he listened hard enough. The fact that she managed to sneak up behind him without so much as making a sound was a new one for him.

"I just couldn't help but notice what you're studying. Hyugo's Divinus Canticles. Very advanced stuff." She observed.

"It's for my religious studies class." He lied. "I'm supposed to write a paper on various interpretations of biblical mythology."

She quirked an inquisitive brow at him. "That's an incredibly obscure subject to write a paper on. Not to mention insanely controversial."

He shrugged. "I've never been one to shy away from a little controversy."

"A man after my own heart." She teased in a slightly flirtatious manner before offering him a perfectly manicured hand. "Rias Gremory, mind if I join you?"

He took her hand in his and shook gently. Her skin was like silk against his calloused palm. "Jonathan Hyodo, Jon for short. I'd be honored if you did."

With a pleased smile she took the seat opposite from him at the table he was sitting at. As she made herself comfortable, Jon took a moment to better admire her features. Rias appeared to be a few years older than Yuma was, most likely a Senior. She wore a short black skirt that left little to the imagination and a white button up that seemed to conform perfectly to her voluptuous figure. He noted that she had incredibly large breasts, an observation made with as much detachment as could be expected of a straight male.

Her features were obviously Northern European, as opposed to Japanese. That, along with her total lack of any accent when she spoke english made it difficult to place where she was originally from. Or why, for that matter, she was here.

"You said this language is aramaic, right?"

She nodded. "Specifically, it is an archaic variant of the Phoenician dialect."

"Do you know what these words mean?" He asked, pointing to the two words that kept appearing in the book.

"Not exactly." She admitted. "That language has been dead for centuries. But I can give you a rough idea."

He nodded. "I'd appreciate it."

She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms together, as well as crossing one leg over the other. "The closest we've come to an exact translation is Sacred Gear."

"Sacred Gear?" He stared down at the word again curiously. "That's a bit on the nose, don't you think?"

Rias chuckled in amusement, covering her mouth to hide her small smile. "As I said, that's only a rough translation. The real words have been lost to time, I'm afraid."

"You sure do know a lot about this."

"I'm the President of the Occult Research Club." She explained. "It's sort of my thing."

He cocked a brow at her. "Occult research, huh?" That could be exactly what he needed.

"Are you interested in joining any clubs?" She asked, her voice suddenly brightening. "We've certainly got plenty of openings. And I'll bet you will find the books in our library to be a tad more helpful with your research. "

It was tempting, he had to admit. And no doubt they had information that could help him...but no. This wasn't the sort of thing he was willing to get innocent people mixed up in. The mark was his problem, not hers.

"As flattered as I am, I'm afraid I'll have to decline." He spoke apologetically. "I'm not looking into any clubs right now."

If she was disappointed at all she didn't show it. If anything, that unwavering smile on her face seemed to indicate she had anticipated his response. "Of course. But even so, if I can help you with your research do not hesitate to ask." She insisted.

He smiled at her and nodded. "I'd like that. Thank you." At that moment a thought occurred to him. Jon checked his watch and frowned. "Ah hell, I gotta go." He quickly got up from his seat and gathered his books. "I promised some buddies I'd meet them over at the track field today."

She gave him a curt nod. "Hopefully I'll see you around."

"Likewise."

Rias watched as the Hunter walked off. Her eyes practically glued to his bulky form as he left.

"Jonathan Hyodo." She repeated to herself. "Very soon, you will be mine."

* * *

"Uggh! I said get away from me, creep!"

*SWAT!*

Jon winced as the brunette track club member in the ponytail Matsuda was talking to slapped him across the cheek hard enough to knock him off his feet. Yet another attempt failed. As she stormed off in a huff, Matsuda slowly got up and limped over back to Jon and Motohama. Who were both sitting in the grassy field adjacent to the track.

"You opened with one of your pick up lines again, didn't you." Jon guessed immediately.

Matsuda groaned in embarrassment, slumping onto the grass dejectedly. "I thought it might work this time…"

"And what did I tell you about that?"

"Rule #4 of Jonathan Hyodo's guide to the fairer sex!" Motohama recited, pushing up his glasses. "Pick Up lines are for Romcoms and Pornos only!"

"But that one was really good!" He protested.

"That so?" Jon challenged. "Well let's hear it then."

Matsuda put on that same doofus look he used while he was talking to that girl. "Hey, baby. Was your mother a beaver, because damn!"

Jon cringed, that one physically hurt. "If you ever want to get within ten feet of a woman some time within this decade, do not ever say that in front of anyone ever again."

He collapsed onto the grass dejectedly. "I can't help it! I try to do what you tell me but I just end up blurting something out to sound cool."

"It's because you're nervous." He explained. "I keep telling you guys you've got to practice what you say before going in or you're gonna freeze up and fall into bad habits."

"Easy for you to say." Matsuda sat up. "You're Mr. Tall-Buff-and-Handsome after all. This shit comes second nature to you."

"Yeah! You're like the second most popular guy on campus, Little Bear!" Motohama added in a derogatory way. "Next to that Kiba Yuuto guy from the Junior class you're the man all the girls wanna sex up around here."

"Looks don't mean anything without confidence. Kiba draws attention from girls because he acts like he couldn't care less whether they notice him or not." He replied. Truth be told he wasn't entirely sure if Kiba did care. He'd seen that blonde pretty boy on campus a few times and he always struck Jon as being somewhat stuffy. Something he found to be off-putting.

"You've got to learn to play to your strengths, like how Kiba does." He continued.

"I thought that's what I was doing."

Jon shook his head. "By opening with a line like that, you've told her two things." He held up two fingers for emphasis. "One, that the only thing you find interesting about her is her body. And two, that the only thing you really want from her is sex. That kind of approach may work on a very rare few, but most girls just find it creepy."

"I still don't get how complimenting a woman's figure is a bad thing." Motohama chimed in.

"Yeah! I mean...just look at the girls track team! Those skin tight shirts, those red booty shorts…" Matsuda was practically drooling. "Don't they deserve to know just how hot they all look?"

Jon sighed, rubbing his temples wearily. They still weren't getting it.

"There is not a damn thing either of you can say about their bodies that they haven't either heard from twenty other guys or thought about themselves." He stated matter of factly. "Whether they admit it or not most of those girls down there know they look good. You pointing it out first thing isn't flattering. It just comes off as desperate and pathetic."

"So what do we do?"

"It's okay to compliment their looks. Just don't lead with that. Instead, talk about something they're proud of. Something they've worked hard on." He motioned towards a girl who was busy practicing the pole vault. "See that girl over there? All the other girls have been jumping around from station to station. But she has been drilling that same exercise over and over again since we sat down. She's probably worked very hard on it."

"Damn, I didn't even notice that." Matsuda admitted.

"Probably because you were too busy undressing her with your eyes." He commented bluntly. "I bet if you went up to her right now, smiled, and complimented her form, she'd talk to you."

"If it's that easy then why don't you do it?" Motohama challenged.

"Yeah! Show us how it's done!" Matsuda demanded.

Jon sighed before shaking his head in disbelief. "Fine, if it'll get you to listen for once." He stubbed out his cigarette and stood up, tossing the butt in the trash before making his way over to her. Matsuda and Motohama, meanwhile, watched on eagerly.

The girl practicing the pole vault rolled off the landing matt and wiped the sweat from her brow before going to a nearby water bottle and taking a healthy sip.

"I wish I could be that water bottle." Jon heard Matsuda mutter to Motohama with his heightened senses, causing him to roll his eyes. Those two really were hopeless.

She noticed him approaching at which point he offered a charming smile. "Hey, I don't mean to bother you." He spoke to her in Japanese. "I just saw you were practicing and I wanted to ask you, is that as easy as you make it look?"

She gazed at him curiously before breaking into a small smile. "No, it's really not. It took me a long time just to even get over the bar without knocking it over."

"Really? In that case, I guess my next question would be when can we expect to see you at the Olympics and should I ask for your autograph now or are you gonna charge?" He asked in a playful manner.

She covered her mouth to suppress her giggling, her cheeks turning slightly red. "No no, you've completely got the wrong idea. I'm really not that good. At least not compared to some of the other girls."

"Could have fooled me." He spoke honestly. "From where I was sitting it seemed like you really know what you're doing."

She blushed a little deeper. "That's really sweet of you to say..." She peered at him as if searching for a name.

"Hyodo, Jonathan." He introduced in Japanese. Offering his surname before his given one.

"Pleased to meet you, Hyodo. My name is Chiyako, Honami." She introduced with a polite bow. Her smile faded slightly and she fidgeted in place while casting her eyes to the floor. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you really think my form looks good? I've been practicing really hard for regionals, but I'm not sure if I'm good enough to even qualify."

He could hear her heart beating at a mile a minute. So maybe he was cheating a little by using his heightened senses to gauge her reactions, but he was trying to prove a point to those bozos.

"I wouldn't worry if I were you." He assured. "I'm no expert, but I can usually tell when someone's been practicing at something. You've got a certain confidence in your form, even if you don't quite feel it. If I were a judge, I'd be impressed by what I saw."

Her eyes lit up and she beamed. "Really?! Thank you!" Her smile glowered somewhat as a thought occurred to her. "Wait a minute...you're not just saying all this because you think I'm cute are you? Because if so you're wasting your time, buddy. I already have a boyfriend."

He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "If that's the case then your boyfriend is a lucky guy. You're a very talented woman, in addition to being incredibly pretty."

She was about to respond but couldn't. Having begun to clam up and nervously shiver, her eyes cast to the ground and her face turning scarlet. Jon could hear the poor girl's heart nearly thudding out of her chest at that point.

"Oh well...if that's the case then the truth is...I uhhh..." She swallowed. "I've gotta go. Bye!" Honami quickly made her excuses and bolted. He couldn't help but snicker to himself as he watched her scurry away to the ladies' room, hiding her crimson face the whole way there. While he hated having to put her on the spot the way he did, he'd be lying if he said he didn't derive some twisted pleasure out of getting a girl worked up like that.

Having successfully proven his point he made his way back to his two dumbstruck friends. "Well? What did I tell ya?" He asked, switching back to English. "It's as simple as that."

"I can't believe that actually worked." Matsuda responded incredulously.

"But why didn't you get her number? She was like putty in your hands there, man." Motohama asked with a somewhat disappointed expression.

Rather than explain that she was already seeing someone, Jon decided to use this as a teaching opportunity.

But before he could speak, someone else did it for him.

"Because that would have defeated the whole purpose. She would have known he had ulterior motives for complimenting her and questioned the sincerity of his words."

Matsuda and Motohama both jumped at the sound of a female voice speaking behind them. They both turned around to see none other than the gorgeous girl from last night. She was wearing a red blouse with a white skirt that complimented her figure incredibly well.

This had marked the second time today that a student had managed to completely catch Jon off guard.

Jon's buddies both turned white as a ghost as their jaws hit the floor. One over dramatic yell later and the two were collapsed on the ground much to her confusion as well as Jon's embarrassment.

"Matsuda, do you see what I see?" Motohama asked in hushed disbelief.

"Shorties even hotter than she was last night. And in that size blouse she's practically busting out of her top, yo."

Jon groaned in exasperation. "I apologize for them. I really do."

She laughed in a bubbly voice. "It's alright. I know they're harmless."

"Of course we are." Matsuda cried, throwing himself at her feet.

"Please tell us his secrets." Motohama begged. "How do we score a hottie like you?"

"Will both of you shut up?" He demanded through gritted teeth.

"It's okay, Jon. Seriously." She assured before leaning down towards them like small children. "Now Motohama, I believe it's your turn."

"Huh?" He stared up at her. "My turn for what?"

She smiled at him sweetly. "To go talk to one of the girls down there. Matsuda and Jon have both had their turn. Now it's yours."

Jon was completely floored. How long had she been standing there listening to them? But more importantly, how long had he not noticed?

"Ummm…" Motohama turned beet red. "I don't know. Maybe I should just standby and continue to gather data."

She gave him an annoyed frown whilst placing her hands on her hips. "You're never going to get any better if you don't try. Now pick a girl and go talk to her."

Sweat began to accumulate all over his brow. Motohama nervously wiped it away before wiping his glasses. He then scanned over the group of girls practicing before finally pointing towards a blonde who was jumping hurdles.

"Nice choice. That's the Captain." Yuma noted with an impressed tone.

He blanched. "W...Wait! I changed my mind!"

"Nope." She began pushing him towards the Captain of the track team's direction. "You made your choice. Now go tell her how awesome she is at jumping hurdles."

"But...but…" He planted his feet into the dirt as best he could, all to prevent her from nudging him forward.

"Come on. You've got this." She assured. "Be confident in yourself."

"O...okay." He swallowed down his remaining nerves. "I'll try."

"Remember, Motohama. Rule #3!" Jon called out to him as he slowly made his way towards the hurdle area.

"Rule #3. Eyes above the neckline at all times." He chanted to himself as he made his approach.

The Captain of the track team was busy chatting with two of her teammates after having just finished her last run. The moment he was within eyesight her eyes were on his. Motohama froze like a deer in headlights.

"Can I help you?" She asked somewhat taciturnly.

"I...uhhh…" He stammered nervously. "I was just…"

"Well?" She asked, clearly weirded out by his behavior.

"It's just…" His eye contact broke and his face turned completely red.

She rolled her eyes and turned to leave, making it only a few steps before he spoke again.

"Wait!" He called.

She turned around while asking in a somewhat annoyed voice. "What?"

"I wasn't ready!" He admitted, hanging his head shamefully. "I wanted to tell you I thought your hurdle jumping was really good, but I froze up when I saw how pretty you are. Can I please try again?"

For a moment, she looked shocked and Jon was worried she was gonna slap him. But when he saw the small blush creep over her cheeks and her lips curve into a smile, he knew it would be alright. She giggled lightly and turned away before walking back to join the rest of the team. Motohama sighed dejectedly before returning to the rest of the group.

"That was great!" Yuma put her hands on his shoulders once he returned, beaming with pride.

"It was?" He asked while looking up at her in confusion. "But she didn't even talk to me."

"No, but you made her smile." She replied. "She'll remember that. You probably made her day."

"You think so?" He asked hopefully.

Yuma nodded. "Trust me. As a fellow girl, I know that she appreciated it. Maybe she didn't feel like talking, but you definitely got her attention."

His face brightened. "Alright! I did it!"

"Nicely done, Motohama." Jon added. They had a long way to go, but it was at least a start.

As Motohama and Matsuda celebrated their first successful attempt at speaking to a girl without offending her, Jon's attention shifted to Yuma. He caught himself smiling at her without thinking about it long enough for her to turn and catch it. She returned his affectionate smile with one of her own. He coughed before turning his head away and scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Thanks for that." He finally said. "That nudge was probably just what he needed."

"It was no trouble." She replied before locking her fingertips together behind her back. "Sooo do you think they would mind if their teacher disappeared for awhile? Maybe to go walk around the Main Quad?"

His smile faltered for a moment as his hesitance returned. Regardless, he found himself nodding to her request anyway.

"Hey, guys! Imma dip out. You two have learned enough for today."

They both nodded in agreement. "It's almost twelve anyway. We're gonna be late if we don't hurry, Motohama."

He nodded in agreement. "Usual spot, right?"

Matsuda grinned wickedly at him. "You know it! The Kendo team should be done with practice and heading back to change any minute now. We better hurry."

The two boys scurried off to what Jon could only assumed was a peeping hole. As he and Yuma watched them both run off, they gave each other the same awkward look.

"Guess they still have a ways to go."

* * *

Yuma and Jon walked through the Main Quad of Kuoh, talking about whatever came to mind. As guarded as he was keeping himself, he had to admit that Yuma was an excellent conversationalist, in addition to being incredibly charming.

"So what made you decide to help those two with the ladies?" She asked curiously. "I don't know if anyone's told you, but they kind of have a reputation on campus."

"I know they do." He admitted. "Honestly, I only started hanging out with them when I realized no one could really understand my accent."

She chuckled at him. "It is a little thick. Most of the students here barely speak English. Even most of the foreign exchange students seem to be from non-english speaking countries."

"It's not just that." He continued. "The way I see it, this is my good deed for the year."

"How do you figure?"

"They're perverts, no doubt about it." He explained. "But if I can steer them in the right direction, maybe help them lose some of those bad habits, they might just grow up a little."

"You really think you can help them get laid?" She asked somewhat jokingly.

He laughed in amusement while shaking his head. "Highly doubt it. But the way I see things, if I do my job right, it won't matter. They'll realize that's not what's important."

She gazed up at him with beguiled eyes. "So what is important then?"

Jon shrugged. "That you find someone who you can make happy. And will make you happy in return. That's honestly the best a man can hope for in life."

She smiled at the ground as a blush formed over her cheeks. "That is way too sweet and mature for someone who chokes as well as you do."

He chuckled in amusement again. "What can I say? I had a good teacher."

"Clearly."

At that moment, Jon stopped. From the window of one of the Private Dorms his heightened sight spotted a familiar figure with blood red hair. Rias's expression looked troubled. That friendly smile she had given him was nowhere to be seen. If he didn't know better he could have sworn she was peering back at him with that perturbed look. Though of course he knew that was impossible, she was a half mile away.

"So what about you?" Yuma spoke up again, a little quieter this time.

His attention returned to the present conversation. What was it about red hair that always seemed to get him distracted, anyway?

"What about me?"

"Do you think you'll ever find that special someone?" She asked sincerely.

Jon stopped, a wary frown forming in his expression. "I don't have time to worry about things like that." He admitted without hesitation. "Truth be told, I can't afford to think about it."

"Oh…" By her voice, it was clear she was incredibly disappointed by his answer. No surprise there, he was used to that kind of reaction. It didn't change the fact that he was dead set on not letting her get attached. "So then...I guess there's no point in asking if you wanted to go out tonight. Is there."

"Listen...you're an incredibly sweet girl." He spoke with gentle assurance. "And I can see where this is going but-"

"I'm so used to guys flaking the moment I start to get attached." She interrupted, sadness in her voice. "I know you don't remember much of last night, but I do. You're not like any other guy I've been intimate with." By the sincerity of her words, he could tell she wasn't kidding.

"Yuma…"

"I'm sick of one night stands." She continued. "I'm ready for something real. You may just think I'm a little girl with a crush, but I'm serious."

He didn't respond.

"I really see there being something between us." She continued, looking him right in the eye. "And from the way I see you looking at me, I know you're thinking the same thing. Or am I wrong?"

He was stunned. She was looking up at him so earnestly, almost pleading. "Yuma...where is this coming from?"

Her face turned the prettiest shade of pink imaginable. From his heightened senses he could hear her small heart thudding like a drum in her chest. This was different from Honami, who was clearly just flustered. Yuma had something she was burying under that racing heart. A confession she'd kept hidden.

"The truth is, when I told you yesterday that I never saw you on campus, I lied. I've been watching you for awhile now." She finally admitted, her tone quiet, almost shameful. "God, I never thought I would admit this. It's beyond embarrassing, but…" She was starting to get choked up. "...but I don't know. You pass through campus all the time and you just seemed so...gentle, in addition to being incredibly handsome. I wanted to talk to you so many times but I just...couldn't. I was too afraid you'd think I was a creep or something."

This cannot seriously be happening right now. He thought to himself. Dammit, Jon! What the hell were you thinking?! You just slept with a girl who has a massive crush on you!

"But last night…" She continued, her eyes glassing over. "...last night was even better than I could have possibly imagined. I've never felt a connection like this with anyone else before. Jon...please...I really don't want this to just be another one night stand." Her bottom lip quivered. "If you feel even a little bit like I do, then please, I really want you to be my boyfriend."

His heart shattered. In that instant, every fiber of his being wanted to kick his own teeth in.

Way to go, you damn fool. He mentally berated himself. You went and toyed with the poor things heart, and now she's attached.

He'd told himself so many times to stop flirting around so much. That someone like him had no business messing with young girls hearts. No matter how lonely he got, or how much he wished he could just be normal for awhile, nothing had changed. The vampire from earlier that morning was a testament to that. So long as he bore that mark, he would always be a target. And anyone who got close to him would just end up as another victim.

Just like his family was.

This wouldn't be easy. She'd be crushed, but with time, hopefully she would get over it. And if he never got her forgiveness for breaking her heart the way he was about to. That would just be yet one more thing he'd have to live with.

It was better, in the end, if she hated him anyway.

He opened his mouth to speak, sure in his words, yet nothing came out. Yuma could see the look of hesitance in his eyes, and her own began to glimmer with hope.

She peered up at him expectantly. "Well...say something." Her voice sounded desperate.

Come on. Just get it over with. Just tell her you're not interested. She'll hate you, but it's for her own good. Now quit pussyfooting around and just do it.

Yet no matter how he tried to convince himself, he just couldn't. Jon was sick of being alone all the time. He was sick of having to hide. More than anything, he just wanted to live a normal life, if only for awhile. But that didn't change the fact that she deserved better than what he had to offer her.

So instead of breaking her heart. He would tell her the truth. Either way, she'd back off.

"Yuma, can we go somewhere private?" He asked nervously. "There's something I want to tell you."

* * *

Neither of them said a word as they made their way to the city overpass. Dusk had set in, providing a beautiful twilight vista over the small bridge. Jon's mind was clouded with doubt. What the hell was he thinking? He barely knew this girl! There was no way she was going to understand his fucked up past.

"So what did you want to tell me?" She asked, her voice cautious. Yuma had been incredibly patient with him the entire walk, which only made him feel worse for how nervous he knew she must have been.

He finally stopped at the midway point of the overpass, with a deep breath he lit a cigarette and took a puff of its calming carcinogens. "Yuma...the truth is, I like you too. Just between breakfast this morning and hanging out with you after class today, I can tell we have a lot in common. But we can't be together, and not for the reasons you think. The truth is…"

He hesitated. Was he really going to tell her? This wasn't exactly something he just let out into the open. It was one of his darkest secrets.

"The truth is what?" She asked, doing her best not to break down.

That stung him. She was working to compose herself, and he knew it had to be for his sake. So he finally relented.

"The truth is, I'm being hunted."

The visible look of shock on her face was far more subdued than he might have anticipated. Though she appeared more confused than anything. "Hunted? What do you mean by that?"

"My family...no...I am cursed." Jon explained, doing his best not to sound nearly as crazy as he felt for admitting this. "Do you see this?" He asked, holding up his palm.

"Yeah, your Dragon tatoo. I remember."

He shook his head. "It's not a tatoo. It's a birthmark."

"A birthmark? But...how? It's clearly a dragon." She asked in disbelief.

"I don't know how. It appeared when I was eight. That was the night…" His skin paled.

"The night what?" She asked hesitantly.

"That was the night my family was butchered."

She cupped a hand over her mouth to hide the shock. But there was still visible horror in her eyes.

"My mother, my sister, my father: all of them are dead because of me. Because of this." He said, referring to the mark on his hand.

"But why? And who killed them?" She asked, her mind still reeling from this revelation.

"Not who...what." He answered honestly. "I know so little about this thing, or why the ones who hunt me are so desperate to claim it. Even the Monastery I grew up in knew very little about it. All I really know is that it draws evil to it….to me."

"What do you mean evil?" She asked.

He hung his head, taking another deep breath. This was it. The part where he let all the crazy out and scared her off for good. Either she'd think he was nuts, or she'd accuse him of making it up. Either way, she'd back off, just like he needed her to.

"There are things in this world, Yuma…" He began, gazing up at the setting sun. "...that defy logical explanation. Beings of dark power that feed on the light of men. I spent the better part of my life training to fight and kill these creatures. To keep myself alive, and to fight back against the darkness."

"But what darkness?" She asked again. "Jon, you're not making any sense."

"The thing that killed my family was not human. It was a creature that sustains itself on the life force of our species." He then added hesitantly. "We call them vampires."

She was stunned. He could tell by her expression she was trying to process what he just said. "You're...you're telling me you think vampires exist?" Yuma asked incredulously.

He chuckled in a melancholy tone. "Not just vampires. I've seen all kinds of dark creatures talked about in myth. Vampires, werewolves, angry spirits. They all exist, right under our noses. And they all have one thing in common...they all crave power."

She didn't say anything. He knew he lost her, now it was just a matter of hammering the final nail in the coffin.

"I'm a Hunter, Yuma. A warrior trained to fight and kill these beings using the powers of the divine. I've killed so many, and yet still they continue to thrive. There's a whole underground world of dark and twisted beings out there, and the ones I've encountered aren't even the worst. I've heard of Demons living amongst humans, spirits of both heaven and hell with power beyond mortal comprehension. If any of them were ever to find me, Yuma…" He shuddered at the thought. "I don't expect you to believe a word I'm saying, if you were to turn around and forget you ever met me I wouldn't blame you." Jon gave her a melancholy smile. "But for what it's worth, I'm glad I finally got to tell someone. Thank you for listening."

For a moment, she didn't say anything. The sound of cars rushing along the road below them, and the far off noises of people heading home from work were the only thing that could be heard. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she spoke.

"Did you kill it?"

"Did I...did I what?" He asked, as if not quite believing what she just said.

"Did you kill the vampire? The one that murdered your family."

Of all the responses he could have anticipated, that was one of the last ones. Was she being serious? Or just trying to distract him while casually calling for the police? Either way, he was in too far now. There was no sense in lying at this point.

"Yes, I did. It cost the life of one of my closest allies and I very nearly died in the process, but I killed her." He sighed. "It didn't bring me any peace, if that's what you're asking. Another one just as strong took her place. As they always do."

Again silence. Christ this was agonizing. He wished she would just hurry up and get it over with already.

"Okay…" She finally replied with a small nod.

Jon was floored. In that moment, life had completely stopped making sense.

"Wh...what did you just say?"

She looked up at him with honest, loving, eyes. "Okay. I believe you."

There was no way. He refused to believe what he was hearing. After all that crazy he just threw at her, there was simply no way in hell she was going to be that accepting.

"You were listening right? You caught everything I just said?"

Yuma nodded and smiled at him innocently. "I'm not sure I believe in vampires, or ghosts, or any of that. But I do trust you. I believe that, whatever your past was, you're just trying to protect me."

"How can you possibly believe me?" He asked in a breathless whisper while shaking his head in denial. "I wouldn't even believe me. No one would."

"I already told you." She continued, getting far too close to him for comfort. "I choose to believe you."

His heart was racing out of his chest even as hers pressed up against him. He could feel the heat of her skin radiating off her cream complexion. Her bust pressed firmly into the top of his abdomen. Every inch of her gorgeous frame was on him, a look of deep yearning resting behind her two beautiful violet eyes.

"I don't care about your past. Or whatever danger being with you might bring." She reached up on the tips of her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her gaze never once breaking from his. "I want this Jon. More than I've ever wanted anything in my whole life. I want you."

He was petrified to the spot. Any rational or coherency of the situation was lost. His senses failed him, his disciplines failed him, his mind failed him.

"Yuma…"

Before he could say anything else she found his lips and pressed her own to them, gripping the back of his neck firmly, refusing to let go.

The shock in his eyes subsided as her tongue begged for entry. His gaze slowly shut as he relented and allowed her to pass through, slowly reaching out and grasping her waist in his hands. She responded by moving her hips for him, desperate to show how badly she wanted this.

The two kissed on that overpass as the setting sun began to fade. By the time it had vanished and darkness had enveloped them, Jon was completely lost.


	3. Chapter 3

Rias stared down at the chessboard in front of her, lost in thought. So much had happened in the course of the week since she first met Jon face to face. He had rejected her offer to join the club, something which didn't inherently surprise her, but he also stumbled into a relationship with a random girl she knew almost nothing about. The head of the Occult Research Club would on occasion bump into him in-between classes or catch him studying in the library. But in such a short time he had seemingly become completely enraptured with this girl. And everything else had fallen to the wayside.

"It's your move." Akeno, who was sitting across the table from her, finally spoke up. Waking her from her trance.

"Sorry...I was just thinking."

Akeno cocked her head at her curiously. "What about, President?"

"Who is that girl Jon is seeing? What's her name?"

She thought for a moment. "I think it's...Yuma something? Why do you ask?"

Rias shook her head, fiddling with the pawn piece she still had clutched in her hand. "It's nothing. I was just curious is all. They've been dating for barely a week and the two are seemingly attached at the hip."

Akeno chuckled at her mischievously. "Is that a hint of jealousy I hear in your voice?"

She narrowed her eyes at the pawn piece in her hands. Such a simple, basic, piece on the board. Yet a piece that was so precious to her it may as well have been the only one present.

"Not jealousy." She admitted. "Concern."

Akeno frowned at her. "You think he's in danger?"

She didn't respond. Rather she simply moved the pawn piece in her hand a space forward. "Checkmate."

Akeno stared down at the board in perplexment and then pouted in irritation. "I really thought I had you that time."

"Your strategy was fine. But fairly basic." Rias stood up and removed her overshirt before stripping down to her lacy purple bra and panties. She then stripped down further to her naked glory before making her way to the shower next to the Occult Research Club's Chapter Room. Rias turned on the water and let the warm liquid wash over her body, relaxing her senses and easing her mind.

Her thoughts slowly turned to Jon. Something about his new girlfriend had her feeling...off. She wasn't used to this sense of unease. Nevertheless she found her mind wandering constantly to his safety and well being.

"What is it about you?" She mumbled to herself as she ran a bar of soap over the swell of her breasts. "What is it about you that fascinates me so, Jon?"

Rias Gremory thought back to her first encounter with the man. Maybe it was just a simple infatuation with his power. He possessed the blood of the Red Dragon Emperor after all. Any Devil would give just about anything to possess a servant with that kind of gift. Yet there was more to it than that. She liked to think that her infatuation with his abilities was purely a lust for power, but she couldn't separate the image of Jon from that desire.

She didn't just want the Red Dragon Emperor, she wanted him.

Ever since the day she watched him kill the Elder Vampire Carlia, her thoughts had become wholly consumed by the young Hunter. The man the Church nicknamed Heaven's Revolver. A human capable of slaying the creatures of the dark without the blessings of Angels or power of the light.

If he became a devil….

A small erotic moan escaped Rias's lips. She opened her eyes and looked down at her hand now soaked in her own wetness. Her heart was racing and her mind had gone blank as she continued to indulge in her secret little fantasies.

It wasn't a crush. Of that she was sure. Was this what lust felt like?

"Jon...what are you doing to me?" She stared up at the ceiling, lost in her own thoughts as she bit down hard on her lip and came.

* * *

Within the catacombs of the church, Jonathan could hear every sound around him. Every drip of water from the ceiling, every bug crawling on the wall. He could smell the damp moss around him and the decaying molder holding the old walls in place. The cool moist air sent vibrations through his skin with every disturbance in the space around him.

After a moment the target in front of him dropped. The revolver on his hip left its holster within a fraction of a second and fired. The second target fell several yards to his left. Another shot. The next was to his right. Yet another shot. Two more targets appeared at different points in the catacombs, to which he fired off two more shots. Finally, one more fell directly behind him. Jon rolled forwards and turned, firing his last shot all within the span of time it took for the target to land from the ceiling.

He twirled the revolver on his finger for a moment before holstering the empty gun.

"All targets hit. Four in the head, two in the heart. Not bad, Jon." A gruff voice called out from the catacombs entrance.

He removed the blindfold and allowed his heightened vision to adjust to the near pitch blackness that surrounded him. The bald, aging Priest who spoke to him from the nearby entrance approached, a lantern in hand.

"Father Kyle." Jon greeted. "I wasn't expecting you'd be done with Mass already. What with it being Easter and all."

"We took a break. The clergy is holding a meeting to discuss assignments for the next hunting season." He explained. "Also, the kids are outside collecting eggs."

He chuckled in a humorless tone, taking a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it, much to Father Kyle's annoyance. "Can I assume you didn't come down to convince me to play babysitter again?"

"You know I expressly forbid those things on church grounds."

Jon shrugged apathetically. "You may want to remind Father Belmont of that rule." He flicked the ash onto the damp floor. "He goes through like a pack a day behind the confessionals booth."

Father Kyle sighed wearily whilst rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I did not come down here to pick a fight with you, my Son. I'm here to offer you an assignment."

He took a long drag from his smoke before blowing it up into the air. "You know, eight years we've known each other, and never once did you ever feel the need to deliver anything like that to me in person. What makes this one so special?"

"Because…" He added, straightening his posture. "...it will be your first assignment alone."

The cigarette fell from Jon's stunned mouth. "You mean…"

He nodded. "Yes. As of this moment, you are considered a full fledged member of the order. Your ceremony will be next week, but in the meantime, we have your first job lined up."

"But...are you sure I'm ready?"

"You have to be." Father Kyle stated with pertinence. "Dark forces are stirring, my Son. Now more than ever, the will of God must be enforced upon the wicked. We've lost too many in our crusade against evil."

He put the lantern down and reached into his robes before pulling out an ornate box. "Along with your new position, we have also commissioned a welcoming gift of sorts. Go ahead, open it."

Jon approached the wooden box in Father Kyle's hands carefully. He ran his finger along the smooth, treated wood before gently opening the lid. What lay inside took his breath away.

"It was delivered last night, straight from the Vatican. And don't worry, it's already been blessed." Father Kyle stated with a hint of pride.

He pulled the custom Smith and Wesson from the velvet bedding it rested in. Running one hand along its silver finish while the other held the weapon by its pearl grip firmly. The gun was decorated with detailed and intricate designs depicting the crucifixion of Christ, including a trail of thorns up the gun's barrel.

"It's gorgeous." He admitted.

"Gorgeous…" Father Kyle agreed. "...and deadly. You'll find no better revolver in the world when it comes to hunting monsters."

Jon pulled the cylinder away from the barrel and inspected each immaculately polished chamber. Six custom rounds fit like a glove into each hole. Six rounds that could take down an Elder Vampire as easily as a normal bullet could take down a human.

Finally, he had a weapon with which to exact his vengeance.

"Thank you." He finally managed to say, looking up at Father Kyle for the first time since receiving his weapon.

The Priest placed his hands on the boys shoulders. "You are a weapon of God now, my Son. Go forth, and spread his name to all the dark corners of the Earth."

* * *

Jon continued to rub the high grade polish along the barrel of his custom Smith and Wesson. He finished with an extra polishing of each individual firing chamber before inspecting the weapon. After years of use, the gun still looked as new as it did the day he got it.

A knock on his apartment door broke him from his concentration.

"Just a sec!" He called before quickly putting the gun in his desk drawer and going to greet his visitor.

Jon opened his apartment door to find his girlfriend Yuma waiting patiently, a beaming smile on her face. The moment he opened up she leapt on the tips of her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him lovingly. Jon returned her affection by wrapping his arms around the small of her waist.

"Hey you." She purred at him.

"Hey you, yourself." He replied with a slick grin while holding her firmly against his body. "You're a little early. I wasn't expecting you for another half hour."

"Yeah, sorry." She apologised, running a slender finger along his cheek. "Work let me off early today and I wasn't sure what else to do."

"Do you see me complaining?" He stated matter of factly.

She giggled at him sweetly. "Fair enough. So are you ready to go?"

"Just give me a sec to get my coat."

Jon let her go and turned to head back inside. He quickly grabbed his coat from his bedroom and turned to make his way back to her.

He stopped, his eyes turning to the desk drawer where his gun was. He never left it behind, and yet here he was a hair's breadth away from forgetting it entirely. His new girlfriend was making him sloppy.

"You coming, babe?" Yuma called from the entrance.

"Yeah! Just a second!" He called back, quickly opening the drawer and loading the gun with six custom rounds. Once done he slid the cylinder back in place and holstered the gun within his jacket, well out of sight, before finally making his way back to Yuma.

* * *

The city was abuzz that day with activity. The central marketplace having become the host for a large fair offering hundreds of various stalls and activities for young couples to indulge in. Everything from food vendors, to carnival games.

"You really should try one of these." Yuma insisted eagerly. Offering Jon a piece of her takoyaki. "It's really good."

"How can you still be hungry?" He asked in disbelief. "We just had lunch like five minutes ago."

She pouted at him. "I don't get to indulge often. Only when there's really good food available."

He chuckled. "Hey, don't get me wrong. Us southern men can appreciate a woman with an appetite."

Yuma snickered at him before popping another piece of takoyaki in her mouth. Even with her cheeks puffed out with food, Jon couldn't help but think just how damn hot his girlfriend was. Part of him was still nervous. He knew this relationship probably wouldn't end well. But since that kiss on the bridge a week ago he had decided he didn't care. He was happy just getting to spend time with her and getting to live like a normal young adult for once.

"So pick up where you left off earlier. You were telling me about your Order or whatever."

His smile faded slightly. Jon still wasn't exactly comfortable discussing the intimate details of his past just yet. Then again, she had a right to know the kind of danger she was in. Even if she didn't believe anything he said.

"Officially, they don't exist." He explained. "You'll find no mention of them in any public church records."

Yuma nodded in understanding. "So they're a secret order." She commented, her mouth full.

"Unofficially however…" He continued. "...the Saintly Knights of Michael have existed since the Saeculum Obscurum first united the Papacy. It is an order that traces its roots back to Saint Peter himself and the founding of the Church of Christ."

"But what do they do? Like, what's their mission statement?"

"It's complicated." He admitted. "Hell, I don't know everything about them. But to put it simply, they were ordained by the Ministry with the charge of protecting the world from Satanic forces."

"Sort of like the Templars?" She guessed, not seeming off put in any way.

"Something like that. Though their order dealt more with human heresy. Our order is more involved in the supernatural."

"So vampires, werewolves, witches, that sort of thing."

He nodded.

"So what are they like? Supernatural creatures I mean."

Jon thought for a moment on how best to answer. The fact she was asking this with a straight face was bizarre enough. He never thought he'd have to explain monsters to anyone before.

"You'd have to ask one yourself if you wanted details, not that I recommend that." He scowled as dark thoughts welled to the surface. "All I know is every creature I've come upon has all reacted the same way in my presence. They immediately try to kill me."

She frowned, a look of concern on her face. "I'm sorry. If you don't want to talk about it…"

"No, it's okay." He assured. "It's honestly refreshing being able to talk about this with someone. I just don't understand why you're so curious. I mean...this has to sound completely nuts to you."

She giggled sweetly at him, throwing her trash away before wrapping herself around his left arm. "Maybe a little. But I trust you well enough to know you're not lying to me."

He still had trouble getting over that. What had he done to get so lucky?

"They look for the most part exactly like us." He continued. "It's relatively easy for a dark creature to conceal itself as a human. It helps them get closer to their prey."

"So they could be all around us and we'd have no idea?"

"Unfortunately." He replied grimly. "With the right training there are ways to distinguish them from humans. But if you happened to bump into one on the street you'd never be able to tell the difference."

She frowned, a slight shiver running down her spine. "That's...a little unsettling."

"I wouldn't worry." Jon assured while subconsciously clutching her closer to him. "Humans vastly outnumber the amount of Dark Creatures that exist on planet Earth. The chances of you running into one are slim, slimmer still that they would attack you." He turned his head away, clutching the palm that bore his mark beneath his jacket. "It's only people like me who have to be constantly wary."

"Because of your mark?"

He nodded.

"What is it anyway?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Part of why I came here was to learn more about it." He sighed wearily. "All I really know is that it came from my mother's family and it grants me abilities normal humans don't have."

She stopped walking. "Wait, what kind of abilities?"

"Heightened senses if your curious. Sharper vision, better hearing, that sort of thing."

She narrowed her eyes at him puzzlingly. "Can you prove it?"

He cocked a brow at her. "How exactly?"

A sly grin crossed her lips. Yuma pointed over to a nearby stand where a popgun game had been set up.

He gave her a disbelieving look. "You can't be serious."

"Come on!" She pleaded. "I suck at these things, and I saw a really cute bracelet hanging on the display."

"I'm not in the habit of using my abilities to win Carnival prizes. Those games are always rigged anyway." He insisted.

"Come ooooon." She pouted, staring up at him with big doe eyes. "No boyfriend's ever won me a prize before."

He groaned in exasperation. "Now that just ain't fair."

Yuma continued her little act, staring up at him with the saddest puppy dog face imaginable. Jon didn't even stand a chance.

"You're quite the little actress, you know that?" He teased. "Ah hell, fine. Let's go before I change my mind."

She squealed with delight, gripping his arm tighter as he lead her over to the Kiosk with the rifle game. Upon closer inspection, Jon noted it was a BB rifle as opposed to a pop gun.

"Would you like to play?" The kiosk owner asked in polite Japanese. "It's only two hundred yen per game.

"What are the rules?" He asked, also in Japanese.

"It's a very simple game, Sir. A very simple game indeed." The Kiosk owner explained. "Just pick up the rifle and bring down the five bandits and the filthy Desperado Leader."

Jon looked over the rifle and the game display on the wall. He chuckled in amusement. The wooden shooting range was designed to look like a Western scene. It reminded him of the old John Wayne movies he and his father used to watch.

"You have six shots." He continued. "Kill three bandits and you may choose a prize from the blue wall." He pointed to a wall on the left containing small inexpensive keychains. Most of them were junk that couldn't have cost more than fifty yen a piece. "Hit five bandits and you may choose a prize from the red wall." The wall on the left held a series of decently sized stuffed animals. "And finally, if you manage to take out all the bandits and kill the filthy Desperado you win the game and may select from our Grand Prize case."

The Kiosk owner showed him the small display case on the bench in front of them. Five jewel encrusted bracelets sat in the display, each made of genuine rare metal and decorated with real stones.

"They're gorgeous!" Yuma exclaimed, pointing eagerly to a sterling silver bracelet with amethyst gemstones. "I really want that one!"

Jon was genuinely surprised by the quality. These were clearly a little pricey. The one Yuma wanted, in particular, had to be at least thirty thousand yen.

"Oooo, nice choice." The Kiosk owner replied. "What do you say, Sir? I bet your girlfriend would be quite happy if you won this for her."

"She would indeed." Yuma nodded in agreement, looking up at her boyfriend with that same puppy dog expression again.

Jon rolled his eyes. "Six shots, six targets huh? Shouldn't be that difficult." He pulled out his wallet and placed 200 yen on the counter. "Alright, challenge accepted."

"Excellent! Just pick up the rifle and the game will start."

"You can do this." Yuma beamed at him. "I know you can."

He smiled back at her warmly, nodding in agreement. Jon inspected the weapon as he picked it up. While designed to work like an old timey pump action rifle, the quality of the gun was nothing to brag about. Being composed of what appeared to be cheap plastic.

The Kiosk owner cranked a lever and started up the game. The scenery in front of him began to move as six targets shaped like cartoonish bandits popped up from behind the shrubbery. They moved decently fast in and out of cover and would take a trained eye to hit effectively.

The Desperado way in the very back was an especially tricky little bastard. Popping in and out from behind the trees for only a fraction of a second. Even an experienced shooter would be relying on sheer dumb luck just to hit the thing.

Not that any of that mattered. As Jon's heightened senses trumped any unfair carnival game mechanic. He aimed the rifle down range at the first target. The gun went off with a small pop followed by the satisfactory sound of the metal target falling backwards.

"That's one." The Kiosk owner declared.

He pumped the rifle and fired again. Popping another bandit down.

"That's two."

He fired two shots consecutively, knocking down two more bandits. Yuma cheered excitedly with each target he hit. With one more shot he hit the fifth target. The one second closest to the back.

"And that's five. Well done Sir, all that's left is the Desperado."

"C'mon Baby. You've got this." Yuma cheered. She was practically standing on her toes in excitement.

With a sly smirk Jon aimed his sights at the Desperado Leader hiding in the back. He focused with all his senses at once, zeroing all his attention on the one target. Time seemed to slow down around him as did the target.

Jon fired the BB gun once more and hit the Desperado square center. However, the BB harmlessly deflected off the target without knocking it over.

Yuma squealed in delight, jumping up and down while clapping her hands together. "You did it! That was amazing!" She stopped upon realizing what happened. "But wait...the target's still up."

"Oh dear. It would seem you failed to knock down the Desperado. Oh well, it was a good effort." The Kiosk owner assured somewhat condescendingly. "You may choose from the red wall."

"Hold on a second. I clearly saw him hit it." Yuma protested.

"If he had hit it, it would have fallen down." The Kiosk manager explained, again quite condescendingly. "As it's still upright, that means he missed."

While Yuma was trying to process what had happened, Jon was already fuming. From the moment that BB hit the target and pinged off like that he knew they'd been had.

"But you saw it same as me!" She was getting angry now, as it was slowly dawning on her what was going on. "He hit that thing dead on! That's not fair!"

"Now then, would you like a stuffed puppy doll? Or perhaps a nice-"

"I don't want a stuffed animal. I want my bracelet!" She raised her voice at him, her face turning red. "He hit all six targets. Just like you said."

Now the Kiosk owner was getting annoyed. He glared down at her with a slimy look on his face. "Now listen, girly. This is my game and I make the rules. If any of the targets are still standing after six shots, it doesn't count."

"Your stupid game is rigged." She shot back at him. "It's no wonder you can afford to dangle such nice prizes in front of us. No one can win. You're cheating people out of there money!"

He scowled nastily at her. "I don't much like your tone or your accusations, young lady. I think I'd like you both to leave. Right now."

She scoffed at him. "Whatever jackass. Come on, Jon. Let's just go."

"Set them up again." He demanded.

Yuma looked up at him worriedly. "Jon?"

"Set them up again." He repeated. "I wanna take another shot at it."

"No!" The Kiosk owner stated firmly. "You had your chance before that woman decided to insult me! Both of you leave, now!"

"Jon, come on. Let's just go before we get in trouble." She tugged on the hem of his jacket insistently.

"I'll give you four hundred yen." He offered, digging back into his wallet.

"What?!" Yuma stated in total disbelief.

"How about it? One more round for double the entry fee."

The Kiosk owner scoffed dismissively at him. "You think such a petty amount can erase the stain your lady has placed on my name? I think not, good Sir. Now I warn you, leave before I summon the police."

"Eight hundred." He offered without missing a beat. Slapping the money down on the table.

"Jon!" Yuma protested emphatically.

"Come on." He continued. "Surely that's enough for one more go. What have you got to lose?"

The Kiosk owner seemed to consider his offer for a moment. He scratched his scraggly beard in mock contemplation. Mulling it over in his head.

"Very well. One more go." He finally relented, a sinister sneer on his face. "But this will be your last attempt."

Jon nodded to him. "Thank you kindly. Now start her up."

The Kiosk owner started the game up again, that same smug look on his face.

"You don't have to do this. Save your money. We can find a different game." Yuma insisted. Before she could protest further however, Jon shot her a reassuring smile as if to say 'Just trust me. I've got this.' With a slight flush to her cheeks, and not knowing what else to do, she simply stood back and let him take over.

He popped his neck and looked at the Kiosk owner. "So the rules are the same as before, right? Six shots, six targets, and none of them can be standing. That the gist of it?"

The man nodded, already claiming victory in his mind. "Start whenever you're ready."

His hand slowly drew back the open jacket he was wearing, revealing a leather strap hooked over his shoulder and around his midsection.

"You may wanna cover your ears, Darlin." He said with a sly wink.

"Why? What are you about to-"

The moment Yuma saw the shiny glint of the weapon holstered at his side she knew instinctively what he was about to do. She slapped her hands over her ears and shut her eyes closed. Not even a moment later, six deafening blasts silenced the area around them. Yuma cautiously opened her eyes. Jon was still holding the smoking revolver in his hand. Where once there were six targets standing, now there were only six holes in the spots on the wall where they roughly used to be.

The Kiosk owner was paralyzed to the spot, white as a ghost. Jon calmly and methodically emptied the spent casings from the cylinder and replaced them with fresh rounds before sliding the cylinder back into place and spinning it for good measure. He calmly approached the trembling vendor and leaned his tall frame over the table with the revolver still in hand.

"There you have it. Six shots, and not one target standing. We'll take that amethyst bracelet and whatever stuffed animal she wants from that wall there." He then pulled back the hammer with an audible click and added. "If you'd be so kind."

Without a word the terrified Kiosk owner unlocked the display and handed him the bracelet.

"Much appreciated." Jon added before finally holstering his weapon and turning over to Yuma. "Well Babe? Pick out one of them stuffed animals up there and let's hit the road."

It took her a moment to realize her mouth was hanging open but she eventually came back to her senses. After having a moment to process what just happened she realized he had shot all six targets from a holstered gun in the span of about two to three seconds. Suddenly all this talk of heightened senses didn't sound quite so crazy after all.

Needless to say, she was a bit dazed by this new development. And if she was being completely honest with herself, more than a little turned on.

She beamed at him before grabbing a purple bunny rabbit to go with the bracelet. Once she had picked out her prize, Jon took her hand and gently slipped the bracelet over her wrist.

"Beautiful." He commented. "Fits your eyes perfectly."

She felt her heart flutter softly in her chest. "We should...probably get going." Yuma suggested, her breath and face heated.

He nodded in agreement. With their prizes in tow, the couple made their way to the exit. Both of them wanting to get as far away as possible before the Vendor managed to call the cops.

* * *

Jon and Yuma walked hand in hand down the bridge they first officially became a couple on. The sun had begun to set, enveloping them in twilight once more. She clutched her rabbit tightly to her chest with one hand and to her man with the other.

"I have to say, this has easily been the best day ever." She sighed happily. "I really couldn't ask for a better boyfriend."

"Ahh, you're just saying that."

"I'm serious." She insisted. "Jon, I've never had this much fun on a date before."

He smiled at her. "Truth be told this day has been pretty great for me too." He stopped walking and took both her hands in his. "I know it doesn't seem like much, but this past week has been really special to me. I mean that, Yuma."

She kissed him sweetly. As they stared into each other's eyes for a moment, her gaze slipped to the revolver tucked away in his jacket. "That gun is beautiful by the way. I've never seen anything like it."

He clutched at it thoughtfully. "It's my most prized possession. This gun has saved my life more times than I care to count."

"It helps that you know how to use it. You're one hell of a shot." She added with a sultry tone.

He shrugged. "Years of rigorous training."

"And a healthy dose of heightened senses." She added flirtatiously. "Must be nice having super powers."

Jon's smile evaporated, he let her hands go and leaned against the railing of the bridge. "It's hell."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Yuma...since this thing appeared on my hand, I've not known peace one day of my life." His voice sounded pained. Burdened by this fact. "I am constantly having to check over my shoulder for the slightest sign of trouble. Everywhere I go I am pursued by those who desire my power." He hung his head, pain gripping his heart. "And anyone who gets close to me winds up dead. This isn't a superpower, it's a curse."

Yuma placed her hands on his arm gingerly. "If it's that much of a burden, can't you get it removed?"

He shook his head. "It's not as simple as removing the physical mark. I could chop off my whole hand and that wouldn't do me a lick of good." He held the mark up in the air for her to see. "This is just the physical manifestation of a much deeper problem. It's not just my hand, the curse is in my blood."

"Your blood? Like...as in passed down hereditarily?"

He nodded sadly. "I told you this came from my mother's bloodline."

"So that's why you're here." She surmised. "To find a way to remove the curse."

"Exactly. Until I'm free of this mark, I'll never be able to live a normal life." He clenched his fist tightly. "Until I'm free of this thing...I'll always be alone."

Now it was Yuma's turn to take his hands in hers. She stared up at him with that same loving gaze. "You're not alone anymore. I'm here for you."

"Yuma...you can't possibly understand what that means. Whether you believe me or not, you have to trust that I'm being serious when I tell you that just being near me puts you in mortal danger. If something were to ever happen to you, I would never forgi-"

She interrupted him with another loving kiss. "I already told you, I believe what you say. And if I'm really in danger, then that's my choice to make."

"But-"

She shushed him by placing a finger over his lips. "I'm not gonna run away from this. Not when you've given so much to me." Yuma wrapped herself around him, resting her head against his chest. "If staying means I can heal this wounded heart of yours, then I don't care if I might die."

There were no words. Jon couldn't conceive what he'd done in his life to deserve this woman, but he would thank God every day from this moment forward if it meant he could stay with her forever.

"The sun is going down." Yuma looked up at him, the tenderness in her eyes was gone. Replaced with something more devious.

He smirked at her. "What's going on in that little head of yours?"

She played dumb, running her pointer finger in a circle around one of his pectorals. "Oh nothing at all. I just thought that maybe you might feel like coming back to my place?"

"Are you sure? I know since our *ahem* drunken encounter you've been wanting to take things slow. I don't want you to feel rushed about this."

She shook her head, an apparent want in her eyes that overshadowed all else as she looked up at him. "I'm done waiting." Her face flushed. "And to be perfectly honest, I may or may not have had something planned."

He cocked a brow at her. "Do tell."

"Uh uh uh." She shook her head playfully. "Not yet, Mister. You'll just have to wait and find out."

"In that case what are we standing around for?"

Without warning he scooped her up off the ground.

"Eeek! Jon wait! What are you doing? Put me down!" She squealed, flailing around in his arms.

"I ain't waiting around for a cab, I'm running you to the damn apartment." He answered mischievously before breaking into a light jog.

"Hold on! This isn't a good position!" She stammered, her face beet red. "I'm in a skirt, you ass!"

"What? I can't hear you. Winds picking up." He joked.

"You are so not funny!"

Jon ran off the bridge with his crimson girlfriend in tow. From a few yards away, a short girl with snow white hair watched them, licking a popsicle ever so daintily.

"You fool...you have no idea how much danger you're in."

* * *

Jon carried his mortified girlfriend into her apartment. Grinning like an idiot all the way inside.

"Yeah yeah, very impressive. Now put me down!" She squealed.

Once they were inside he finally complied with her request, setting her down so she could quickly pull down her skirt.

"I cannot believe you carried me all the way here." Her face was still completely red. "I'm not wearing any underwear you jerk. I just flashed like three cops and an old lady!"

"If they're anything like the cops I knew back home, I highly doubt they minded."

She swatted him on the arm while he snickered to himself. "You're horrible."

"Maybe, but you love me anyway."

An awkward silence hung in the air.

"Wow that uh…" His face reddened. "That sounded way more subtle in my head. Uhh...look just forget I said-"

"Yes...I do." She responded. There was nothing but adoration in her eyes.

He was speechless.

She pecked him on the cheek, that same warm bubbly smile she always wore still there. "Okay, you have a seat on the couch. I need to get ready."

She practically skipped off to her bedroom. The moment she was out of sight, Jon flopped down onto the couch, completely lost in thought.

Did she really just say that?

So much had happened between them in the past week. And while it was true that a lot of his feelings stemmed from the fact that he finally had the loving stable relationship he always wanted, there was no denying he absolutely adored that girl. Not just for her stunning figure and undeniable charm, but from the simple fact that she had opened up her heart so readily to him. Placed so much trust in him that he did not even place in himself.

He would have been happy just like this, forever. But love? That wasn't something he had truly considered. It wasn't something he felt he would ever have. It was too much to hope that things would truly work out that way. That he would find the answers he sought, undo this cursed mark, and be able to live a normal life with her.

But if there was anyone in his life that was worth hoping for, it was definitely Yuma.

A thought occurred to him as he patiently waited for her to finish doing...whatever it was she was doing. He'd been to her apartment multiple times in the week they had been dating, and yet he had never once actually taken in all the scenery. Looking at it now, he realized she had quite a bit more artwork than he had previously thought. A lot of it, surprisingly, being religious themed. This especially confused him considering she had just finished telling him the other day she was a staunch atheist.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Jon decided to snoop around the living room while she was away. On a nearby dresser he saw a collection of antique perfume bottles that piqued his interest. He'd seen glassware similar to this in the old Church back home. If it was real, then this stuff had to be at least eight hundred years old, if not older.

Where on earth did her father find this?

Snooping around a bit more, he noticed a peculiar looking book sitting on the mantle next to the antiques. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was none other than Hyugo's Divinus Canticles. The very same book he was using as research material into the Sacred Gear. But why the hell was it here? Not only was it the same book, but judging by the sticker on the front cover, it was also the same copy of the book. Was Yuma doing research into Sacred Gear? Surely not. There was no way.

The sound of a bedroom door turning made him nearly drop the book on the floor. He quickly put everything back where it was supposed to go and jumped back onto the couch.

"Okay, I'm coming out." She called out to him from a crack in the door. "Close your eyes, and absolutely no peeking!" She warned in the most serious voice she could muster.

He chuckled in amusement, shaking his head before quietly aquesting to her request. "Alright, they're closed."

"Remember, no peeking!" She insisted emphatically.

Jon listened as the bedroom door creaked open and two dainty little feet pattered across the wooden floor. Finally, she came to a stop on the rug where the couch he was sitting in rested upon.

"Okay, you can open them."

Jon slowly opened his eyes, upon which his jaw immediately hit the floor.

"Oh. My. God."

She was wearing what had to be the sluttiest little nun outfit that had ever been designed. The robes could hardly be called such, more like a miniskirt that barely concealed her most intimate places. Her ass looked as if at any moment it would pop out of the skirt, barely contained by a thin layer of cloth. Her legs were dressed up in lingerie stockings that reached all the way down to her feet, and the top was clearly just a bustier wrapped in more cloth. Her breasts, much like her ass, were nearly busting out of the outfit. The only details about the getup that were even remotely concealing, that in any way resembled an actual nun outfit, were the long sleeves and the modest hood that covered her raven hair. Which she had apparently tied up into a quick bun.

"Good evening, Father." She greeted in a low, seductive voice. Bending down and placing a hand on her knee while also pressing a finger against her full lips. "I'm so glad you could come listen to my confessional."

"You are not serious right now." He stated incredulously, the biggest, most amused grin on his face imaginable.

"Oh but I am, Father." She insisted, righting herself and bowing her head. She began to fidget in place, her hands folded in front of her, a slight blush on her cheeks. "The truth is, I need your guidance. I don't know who else to trust but you."

"Oh my God. You are serious." He stated again. Loving every single moment of this, despite having to try really hard not to laugh his damn head off.

"The truth is, Father…" She continued proving once again what an impeccable little actor she was. "...I have felt the Sin of lust, and have acted upon it repeatedly."

The more in character she got, the more into it he became. Jon leaned forward in his seat, watching as she blushed, and squirmed, and tried her damndest to keep her skirt down to protect her modesty, even as his manhood threatened to burst out of his jeans.

"That right?" He asked, drinking in her whole appearance greedily with his eyes. "Care to elaborate?"

Her blush spread over the whole of her face, she continued to squirm around, using both hands to pull down her tiny little skirt. "Whenever I get these...urges, I find myself falling uncontrollably into my own lust. I begin to touch myself in sinful ways." Yuma turned around and arched her back, slowly lifting her skirt, revealing her gorgeous ass and a complete lack of underwear. "Even now the dark thoughts that cloud my mind have made me wet. I've even stopped wearing panties in case I need to indulge in my cravings during confessional."

That part wasn't an act. She was indeed, already soaked. And considering how long they had been out, it was clear she had been that way for quite some time.

"But the thing that scares me the most…" She began to chew on her lower lip, her head turned back toward him, her eyes screaming with want. "...is that all my sinful thoughts revolve around you, Father. You are the source of my uncontrollable lust."

He continued to watch, doing his best to ignore how uncomfortable his erection was quickly becoming.

Yuma turned back around and knelt down with her legs spread apart. Her wetness slowly dripping down her thighs as she crawled to his feet, grasping his knees and staring up at him with pleading eyes. "What do I do, Father? My thoughts are wholly consumed by you. I want nothing more than to feel your skin against mine. I dream of your strong grip taking hold of me and punishing me viciously for my Sinful mind. I want you more than anything, Father. I need you more than anything. What am I to do?" She asked again in an overdramatic fashion.

He could almost see tears forming in her eyes. She was really into this. Almost alarmingly so. Had she been rehearsing? The thought of her practicing this routine for him did nothing to help the stiff throbbing in his pants. Yet still, he maintained his composure. Taking her chin into his hand he forced her gaze to meet his. She melted into his touch, her breath hot and heady with desire.

"Touch yourself." He commanded. "Let me see your 'Sin' with my own eyes."

She let out a small gasp, turning her head away in surprise. "But Father! I can't. If I do that I might...I…" Her violet eyes met his once more. With a quiet nod she relented, kneeling back on the balls of her feet and spreading her legs wide open for him. Hiding nothing from his view.

"Like this?" She asked in as innocent a voice as she could muster. Pretending to hesitantly touch her heated little clit as if she didn't know damn good and well what she was doing. Excited little moans escaped her lips as she slowly played with herself. The desire in her face was no longer an act. She wanted him...badly.

"Turn around." He ordered, twirling his finger for emphasis. "Get on your hands and knees."

"Yes Father." She obeyed, turning around and getting on all fours. With one hand she reached back to continue playing with her heat, her eyes firmly locked on his. "Anything you desire, but please, I beg you, be gentle with me."

That was it. He had reached his threshold. Jon left the couch and knelt directly behind her. Gripping Yuma's waist firmly in his hands. The startled gasp that escaped her lips sounded far too genuine to be part of the act. The show had overstimulated her, causing her to become hypersensitive to his touch.

He leaned down towards her neck, prickeling her ear with his beard. His heightened hearing picked up on the sound of her heart racing out of her chest.

"You know you're going to hell for this right?" He whispered casually into her ear.

"I'm yours." She whispered back breathlessly.

"Just as well…" He continued. "...I'll be right behind ya after what I plan to do to you."

* * *

Yuma fell backwards onto her bed, a playful smile coating her lips as she stared up at her man with lust filled eyes. Jon had already torn her hair free from her abbot and done away with the corset concealing her breasts. After having fucked her to the point where they both came, Yuma thought that their little routine would be over. Little did she know Jon had a surprise of his own.

Turns out, heightened senses wasn't the only thing he had inherited.

After a quick trist on the floor, Jon startled the hell out of her by taking Yuma by the throat in both his meaty hands and carrying her as if she weighed nothing all the way back to the bedroom. All while erotically choking her. She felt completely helpless in his grasp and so unbelievably turned on. The moment her back hit the mattress she was already soaked again, spreading her legs and beckoning him forward with a little finger.

"Come and get it, Little Bear." She teased him playfully while spreading the lips of her drenched pussy open for him.

Jon tossed away what remained of his clothing and made his way to her from the foot of the bed. He kissed along the insides of her thighs, eliciting a series of sweet yet no less erotic moans from his girlfriend as she bit down on the tip of her finger in heat.

"Oh Jon…" She moaned as he began flicking at her clit with his tongue. Her breathing became labored the more into it he got, until she went wide eyed and gripped the sides of the bed as he suddenly began fingering her as well. Hitting all the right clusters of nerves all at once.

"Jon! Wh...what...how are you-oh fuck!" Unable to hold on any longer she shut her eyes, tilted her head, and arched her back as she came hard.

He snickered up at her, rather pleased with himself. "Now that wasn't very Nun-like of you."

She rolled her eyes at him, still catching her breath. "What...ever…"

Jon stood up, his fully erect cock raring to go. Yuma stared at the monster, then up at him again in disbelief.

"How the hell?" Was all she could think to say. "You just came like three minutes ago."

"Are you seriously complaining? If so I can always back off." He joked.

She glared at him and spread her legs wide. "Just shut up and fuck me harder this time, dammit."

He grinned down at her. "As you wish, your highness."

Jon lifted her hips up into the air and plunged himself down onto her all the way to the base of his shaft, hitting even deeper than he had before. The move was so unexpected and so overwhelming her breath caught and her body seized up.

"Oh...oh shit…" She stuttered incoherently as her eyes began to roll into the back of her head.

He began thrusting hard into her. Pounding Yuma over and over again as she breathlessly shuttered against him.

"Oh…" Her eyes bugged out again as she suddenly began hitting the bed with her open palm. Unable to speak. "Oh shit!"

He buried himself to the hilt again and ground up her insides while she rode the euphoric wave that followed yet another sweet release. Her breathing was ragged and her face was completely red as her whole body shuddered against him.

"Well now, I'd say she likes it." He confirmed with a smug grin.

Without a word she nodded her head, a mixture of shock and pleasure on her face as she slowly came back down to planet Earth. He laid her down and was preparing to enter her again when she tapped on his shoulder insistently.

"Wait wait wait. I need a second."

He chuckled. "Well alright then. What do you suggest we do to amuse ourselves until then?"

She shot him a coy little grin in response. "I was thinking it's my turn to amuse you." Yuma guided him onto his back and took his member in her hand, stroking up and down his shaft teasingly. "God, I can't get over how big you are. It's a little intimidating if I'm being honest."

Jon rested his arms behind his head and relaxed. "Hey, I didn't hear any complaining a second ago."

"True." Yuma gazed at him with two lusty eyes before licking up the base of his shaft to the tip of his head. "Now let's see if I can return the favor."

She slipped her lips over the tip of his manhood before slowly lowering her head down onto him. For all her talk of being intimidated a moment ago she didn't seem to have much trouble taking damn near all of him down her throat. Only finally stopping about two inches away from his balls, before coming back up and going down again. Jon groaned in pleasure as she sucked him off, bobbing up and down along the length of his member with little gag reflex to speak of.

After a few moments she pulled away with a satisfying pop and started stroking him again. "Well? How is it?"

"It's like you were born to do this." He replied, still groaning in pleasure.

She rolled her eyes in response. "Gee, thanks. That's soooo flattering." With an amused chuckle she lowered her head down onto his shaft again. This time bobbing up and down a little more vigorously whilst massaging his balls.

"Shit, Yuma." He gripped her Raven hair, his cock beginning to throb in anticipation of his next climax.

She stopped, raising her head up off his shaft again. "Not yet." Yuma swirled her tongue along his head greedily. "I'm not quite done playing with you."

His girlfriend then proceeded to straddle him, positioning his cock at her opening before slowly lowering herself down onto him. Yuma let out a small pleased moan as she sat down on his lap and began to ride him. She braced herself on his abdomen whilst gyrating her hips along his length, feeling every inch inside her.

"Fuck, I love your cock, Jon." Yuma declared whilst biting down on her lower lip.

The two lovers kissed each other passionately while Yuma continued to grind on him. After which she pulled away and righted herself, whereupon she began bouncing up and down on his member, her breasts bobbing in rhythm with her movements.

As Jon moved to cup her full breasts in each hand she leaned back and braced herself on his thighs. Tilting her head back and pumping her chest out for him to play with her erect nipples.

"Jon, oh God I'm so close." She practically whispered whilst bouncing up and down. "So close…"

"Me too." He groaned whilst playing with her nipples.

"Please cum in me." She begged. "Fill me up, Jon."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded insistently, slowly losing herself again as she bounced faster and faster. "Yes, I'm sure. Make me yours Jon and cum like you mean it."

He growled in response before slamming himself into her as she came down on him. He fucked her hard as she completely surrendered to him.

"Oh God. Oh fuck! Jon! Joooon!"

Jon yelled out in ecstasy as he proceeded to cum deep inside her. By the way her belly convulsed he could tell she was cumming too. Finally, she collapsed onto him, her breath ragged and her body covered in sweat. After a minute or two of silence, she finally found it in her to speak again.

"That was...that was..fuck there's not even a word for it."

He chuckled in amusement whilst petting her hair gently. "Glad I could be of service."

She nuzzled into his chest and took in his strong scent, smiling contently. "Will you remember this forever?"

He nodded. "Of course I will."

"Good, I'll remember it for you too then." She spoke.

He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean by that?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing." Yuma kissed him passionately before leaning down to his ear and whispering.

"I love you, Jonathan Hyodo."


	4. Chapter 4

::Author's Note::

I've decided to step things up for the first Arc and edit/post two chapters a day instead of just one. Mostly because I'd like to get this first Arc out sooner rather than later, and editing these chapters isn't taking nearly as long as I thought it would.

One thing I wanted to mention was that you may notice song lyrics in some of these chapters. I listen to a lot of music when I write and often use it as inspiration for the tone I'm trying to set for a scene. So I decided to incorporate some lyrics from famous artists. It works considering I had planned to make Jon a musician anyway.

With that said, I present Chapter Four.

::End Note::

Rias lurched up from her bed, an erotic moan escaping her lips as she awoke. Her skin was damp with sweat and she was panting quite badly. Looking down, she realized her hand was once again slick with her own wetness and her panties were soaked.

Yet another dream about Jon had visited her in the night. Yet another set of sheets had been soiled by her unconscious fingers. Rias groaned in frustration, falling back into the bed with her forearm resting upon her brow. She couldn't figure this out. The President of the Occult Research Club cared for all her servants equally, and she was no stranger to handsome men. Kiba was counted among her Peerage after all. If she desired attention from an attractive male he was only a stone's throw away. But he was also distant, reclusive, and kept himself emotionally isolated.

Jon was different. A perfect southern gentleman in every sense of the word, but beneath that charming exterior the heart of a passionate beast pumped fire through his veins. He'd just as soon gobble a young girl up as he would make her feel like no other woman existed in the room, to say nothing of his lethality with that revolver. She wanted to corrupt him. To twist his heart and wring out every last bit of pious nobility. Rias wanted to watch him fall completely from grace.

And land directly into her waiting arms.

A knock on the door caused a catch in her breath. Rias quickly covered herself with a silk comforter before acknowledging her visitors presence.

"Enter." She commanded.

A young looking girl with snow white hair entered the room. "Ms. President, I'm back with the latest report."

Rias nodded, thankful that at least one member of her peerage had the decency to knock before entering. "Thank you Koneko. Let my Queen know we'll be discussing our next move in the Chapter Room."

Koneko nodded in understanding. "Will do." With that, she left, giving Rias enough time to change before the meeting.

* * *

Rias, Koneko, and Akeno sat on the lavish sofas in the middle of the Occult Research Club's Chapter Room. After much discussion concerning the events that had transpired over the past three months, a consensus on their next course of action was all that remained.

"So we are all in agreement then?" Rias asked one more time.

"I believe so, Ms. President." Akeno concurred.

Koneko nodded. "You really hit the nail on the head this time, Rias. That bozo still doesn't realize he's being played."

"Must you judge him so harshly?" Akeno reprimanded. "The poor boy is just lonely. Such affection could cloud even the most strong willed of men under the isolation he has endured."

"Psh." Koneko turned away, her frown still present. "I still think it's pathetic. Heaven's Revolver brought down by a nice set of tits."

A wicked grin crossed Akeno's lips. "Ahh, now I see. Our newest Rook wouldn't happen to be jealous of her well endowed rival, now would she?"

Koneko's face turned crimson. "Wh...what did you say?!"

"Okay, that's enough." Rias Gremory called for attention. "None of this matters in our present situation. We should have acted sooner, I realize that now. But the fact is we waited and the Fallen Angels managed to get to him first."

"He's never encountered a higher being before." Akeno observed with a clear hint of worry in her voice. "If we don't act quickly, I fear something terrible may happen to him."

"So what's the plan, Rias?"

The President bit down on her thumb thoughtfully. True enough, if they did not intervene quickly something would likely happen.

But maybe that was exactly what she needed.

"Rias?" Koneko asked again.

"We can use this." She finally decided. "Continue to monitor him for now."

"Are you sure?" Akeno asked with a hint of worry.

She nodded with finality. "Positive. When the time comes, I shall intervene myself."

With that, the meeting adjourned. The plan was risky, she understood that perfectly well. But it was her best chance at claiming the object of her unmatched desire. Jonathan Hyodo would never willingly come into her fold. He'd been trained by the Church and by life itself to despise her kind. It was almost instinct.

If she was to have her Pawn, then she would have to break it first. Heaven's Revolver had to fall. The betrayal of his former Order was a good start, but it was not enough. He had to lose all hope in anything but her. For that, he would have to be pushed to the absolute edge of what a man can survive.

And when he finally did fall, she would be right there to catch him. As the head of House Gremory she swore to herself that on that day, no one would ever hurt him like that ever again.

* * *

The campfire crackled and burned with the smell of oak and ash permeating the air. Deep in the Ozark Mountains, away from any signs of civilization, Jonathan Hyodo drew from his smoke. Relaxing in the cool night breeze and gazing up at the stars.

"Anyone tell you lately those things will kill you?"

His lips curled into an annoyed frown. Father Kyle, whose normal robes had been replaced with hiking gear, continued to poke at the fire with a stick, sitting opposite of Jon on a nearby log.

"If I live long enough for these things to kill me, it will be a miracle." He spoke flatly after blowing another trail of smoke into the air.

Father Kyle gazed solemnly at him. "You seem awfully certain of that."

Jon shrugged, twirling the cigarette between his fingers. "Just a pragmatists perspective. I have half the Underworld's freakshow parade gunning for me. That's not including all those psychotic cultists who want me dead." He took another puff. "The fact that I made it to my eighteenth birthday at all is a miracle in of itself."

"In that, at least, we both agree. But do not be so quick to lose faith, my Son. Through God, all things are possible."

Jon didn't reply.

"But enough of that dreary talk. Come, let's begin tonight's training." Father Kyle proceeded to pull out a large black case from behind the stump he was sitting on. Jon snubbed out the remains of his cigarette and did the same.

"If you insist." He replied, opening his case.

They both pulled out the instruments for tonight's lesson and tucked them beneath their shoulders.

"Now remember what we practiced last time." Father Kyle instructed, strumming a major chord with his pick.

"Hold on, I'm having some trouble with the B string." Jon quickly finished tuning his guitar, strumming once to check if he did it right.

"That should do. Now let's begin where we last left off."

"Before that, you mind explaining what exactly we're doing?"

"Beg pardon?"

"I mean...why are we out here in the Ozarks for a week? And furthermore, why even teach me how to play guitar?" Jon shrugged. "Just seems like I could be using my time more wisely."

The Priest set his guitar down. "How do you figure?"

"I could be training right now. Or studying. Or heck, I could be on another hunt."

"You've trained and studied quite enough." Father Kyle insisted. "And your last hunt was a success. It's important to rest the body and mind after such a great undertaking."

"And the guitar?"

"For dexterity." He explained. "Your weapon of choice requires impeccable hand eye coordination. Learning guitar is an excellent way to improve that." He picked his guitar back up and fiddled with one of the strings. "Also, take it from me, there is nothing women find more attractive than a man who can play an instrument."

Jon chuckled in amusement. "This coming from a Priest of all things." He frowned softly. "Shouldn't I be more worried about Carlia?"

"You intend to slay an Elder Vampire within the next week?"

"Well...no, but the sooner the better as far as I'm concerned."

"And what do you intend to do after she's dead?" He asked patiently.

Jon thought for a moment. "I guess...I never really considered that. Finding Carlia and killing her has been my whole reason for living up to this point."

"Revenge is never a reason to live." He lectured sternly. "Your parents wanted you to have a good life, not a vengeful one." Father Kyle suddenly looked up from his instrument and looked Jon in the eye. "I want that for you as well."

Jon simply stared back at him. Unsure of what to say in response.

"But enough. It's time to practice." The Priest insisted.

Not knowing what else to do, he simply returned to his instrument and began to play.

* * *

Jon sat on a nearby bench on the bridge, strumming his new guitar a few times, testing to make sure he had tuned it properly. Once he was satisfied he began to play one of his favorites.

"There's a slow moon rising."

"It's shining on your skin."

"The way your body moves me, I know there's no holding back. No holding back."

"I wouldn't be a man if I didn't feel like this."

"I wouldn't be a man...if a woman like you was anything I could resist."

"I'd have to be from another planet. Where love doesn't exist."

"I wouldn't be a man if I didn't feel….like this."

Not many people could recreate that deep voice required to sing this particular song effectively. But Jon, though not an exact replica, could come pretty darn close. He played and sang through the song once, decidedly happy with the instruments overall sound quality. He just hoped Yuma liked it as much as he did.

The past few months had gone by in a blur. Jon wasn't entirely sure when his life stopped being about finding a way to remove his mark and started being about her, but truth be told he didn't care. He'd never been this happy in his life. Finding a solution to his problem seemed trivial in comparison to brightening his girlfriends day. He'd been spending less time at the library and more time practicing his music. Any time he didn't spend with Yuma he spent planning what their next date would be.

"It sounds wonderful."

Jon turned to see a familiar redhead staring down at him, a gentle smile on her face.

"I had a good teacher." He replied. "How've you been, Rias?

"Fine, I suppose." She took a seat next to him. "I haven't seen you in the library much lately. Done with that project you were working on?"

"Something like that." He commented before returning to his guitar.

"How is it I never knew you played an instrument?"

He shrugged. "I dropped it for awhile, but when Yuma found out I used to play she insisted I pick it up again. I promised I'd try to write her something one day."

"You're a man of many talents, Jon." Her smile faltered. "I just hope your girlfriend realizes how lucky she is."

"Honestly, I'm the lucky one." He quit strumming his guitar for a moment and set it down. "You know how it feels to live your whole life thinking your alone, just for someone to come along and tell you you're not?"

Pain gripped her heart. "I…" She maintained her composure, smiling pleasantly at him. "No, I can't imagine."

At that moment his cell phone went off. Jon whipped it out of his pocket and stood up from his seat. "That's her." He explained while slinging his guitar over his shoulder. "See you around, Rias."

She nodded. "See you around."

He turned to leave, only making it a few steps before she stood up.

"Jon."

He turned around. "Hmm?"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. "For you."

He took the paper and inspected it. It appeared to be some sort of flyer for the Occult Research Club. In the center of the paper was a pentagram with the words Your Wish Will Come True written on top.

"Uhhh, thanks? What's it for?"

"Just in case you ever need a change of fortune." She answered somewhat cryptically.

He gave her a weird look, but otherwise simply stuffed the paper in his jacket pocket. "Thanks, though to be honest my fortunes been pretty good lately."

With that he turned and left, contemplating the strange paper Rias gave him.

My wish will come true, huh? I kinda think it already has.

* * *

Jon and Yuma spent another perfect day together. Starting with a day of clothes shopping at various stores, including one lingerie store where she wound up pulling him into the dressing room for a quickie. Afterwards they got a bite to eat at one of their favorite restaurants. Yuma ordered a sundae and Jon had to practically pry his eyes off her breasts when she dropped some whipped cream on them. Of course she started doing it on purpose the moment she caught him, just to drive him nuts. He made a mental note to make her pay for that later tonight.

The day ended with them hanging out in the park. There, Jon pulled out his guitar and played for her for awhile. They spent the rest of the day cuddled up against a tree while watching the sun set. It was only when nightfall had nearly come that they finally decided to leave.

The couple walked hand in hand towards the large ornate fountain in the middle of the park, the rays of twilight reflecting off the pool in the most beautiful way. Yuma was still wearing the bracelet he won for her that day at the Fair. She never wore anything else on her wrist these days.

"I sure had fun today." She spoke softly, leaning her head against his chest.

"You're telling me." He replied, kissing her cheek. "I'm still working on that song, it may take awhile. But I promise I'll come up with something good."

She smiled up at him. "I'm sure you will."

They continued to walk towards the fountain. Jon simply basking in the serenity of the day, and of the gorgeous woman his life was blessed with.

He suddenly stopped, a sudden pang of something dark surging through his being.

Wh...what is this? He thought to himself, dread welling up in his stomach. Why am I feeling anxious?

She looked up at him curiously. "Is something wrong?"

After a moment, he shook his head, acting like it was nothing. "Nah, it's nothing. I'm fine."

She nodded and the couple continued walking. Though Jon's eyes were now darting warily about the treeline, his grip firmly on the revolver at his side. He knew this would happen. That they would find him again. No matter what, he had to protect Yuma. Nothing else mattered.

As they approached the fountain, Yuma suddenly let go of his hand and skipped ahead before turning around, looking up at him with those big doe eyes he loved so much. "Can I ask you a question, Jon?"

He nodded, grinning back at her despite the tense situation. "Of course, Babe."

She crossed her hands behind her back and swayed her chest in a coy manner. "So...we've been going out for awhile now, and I was wondering if there was something you would do for me."

Jon chuckled at her. "Yuma, you know you can ask me to do anything."

She smiled at him in her usual overtly sweet manner.

"Would you die for me?"

Time stopped and the world fell silent.

"Sorry...what did you just say?" He asked, a horrible pit forming in his stomach.

Her face twisted into a sinister smirk just as the last rays of sunlight fell and the Earth was plunged into darkness.

"I said I want you to die for me." A voice that was not Yuma spoke in a sardonic tone.

Jon, his eyes now filled only with horror and despair, shook his head in denial.

"Oh God, no…" He released the grip on his weapon as all strength left him.

A sharp pain in his chest followed, as well as the unmistakable sensation of warm blood soaking his clothes. His blood. Jon's face blanched instantly. He slowly looked down to see a red spear composed of pure light sticking out of the spot in his chest where his heart used to be. It had come so fast, he didn't even have time to react.

He looked back up, that same confused and disbelieving expression on his face, even as his vision began to fade and his legs failed him. Jon plummeted to the ground, gazing up at the figure standing in front of him. The woman he no longer recognized.

Yuma's clothes vanished, replaced with a skimpy leather bondage two piece that seemingly materialized directly onto her body. In addition, a pair of large, black wings sprouted from her back.

That sadistic smirk never left her lips.

"I have to admit, it really has been fun, Jon." The woman he no longer recognized spoke again. "Considering how naive and childish you make yourself out to be, these past few months definitely could have been a lot worse."

There wasn't any pain, his entire body simply began to go numb. He opened his mouth to speak, but he managed only coughs and the overwhelming taste of copper.

She giggled at him. "Now now, don't struggle. You'll only fade faster, and you at least deserve a bit of praise before the end." Yuma bit down on her lower lip, slipping off into a little fantasy as she stroked the shaft of the spear still embedded in his chest. "I mean my God you are such a good fucking lay. I honestly think that healthy stallion of yours will be one of the things I miss about you the most, Cowboy."

His vision blurred, any attempt to move or even comprehend what was going on around him failed.

"And so sweet too." She continued, holding up the wrist that was still wearing the bracelet he had won for her at the fair. "All those gifts you got me. I especially like this one. Which is why I've decided to keep it as a memento of the time we spent together." An even greater darkness formed in her eyes as she gripped the shaft of the spear firmly. "Nevertheless, I'm afraid it's time for us to part, my beloved. Word from on high just came down, and I'm afraid your time is up."

She yanked the spear from his chest. Jon convulsed violently, blood spouting from his lips as his breathing all but stopped. Yuma proceeded to lower herself down to him and straddle his lap, leaning down until her busty chest was pressed up against him.

"I'm really sorry it came to this, Jon. The original plan was to keep you alive long enough to get to the Sacred Gear. But once we realized that wasn't going to happen, we decided to play it safe. You're too dangerous to be left alone, I'm afraid." She leaned down until her hair touched his face before whispering in his ear. "If you want to blame someone, blame your own blood. Or better yet, blame God himself. After all, he was the one who gave you the Dragon's Mark in the first place."

With that, she kissed him one last time. Moaning in pleasure, before licking his blood away from her lips. "Goodbye Heaven's Revolver, and thanks again for the wonderful memories."

His sight faded, the last conscious vision he had was of the woman he loved flying away in a plume of black feathers before all fell completely into darkness.

* * *

He was falling, that much he understood. Where to, he had no idea. To be honest, he should have seen this coming. A beautiful woman who happens to accept him for who he is, crazy past and all, just happens to fall right into his lap? And he didn't think it was the least bit suspicious? Jon had never felt like a bigger moron than he did at that moment. Of course it was all a setup. What else could it have possibly been? Since when did his life ever manage to crawl its way out of the muddy trenches?

Not that it mattered anymore. It was all over. And even though he would die never knowing why he was cursed with the Dragon's Mark, or having the chance to live a good life like his parents and Father Kyle wanted, he could at least be content that he would not have to live in fear any longer.

He could finally sleep.

It was funny, he always thought dying was a much darker experience. But in that moment, all he could truly see was not black, but red.

Red.

Just like the color of her hair. A shade of red darker than any he had ever seen on a woman before. Long beautiful crimson hair.

Wait...why was he thinking of her? Moments before death and his mind had turned to a different woman? Hadn't he been through enough of that already? What was more, it wasn't just that he could picture her in his mind, he could actually see her. As if she was looking right down at him, appearing from a circle of red symbols and floating above his near lifeless body like an angelic being come from on high. It was cruel, he thought. If he had to die, why did it have to be in the presence of her pretty face? It just made the desire for someone to hold him as he went stronger. A wish he knew would never be fulfilled.

As if having read his mind, the crimson haired being slowly descended upon him and cradled his body in her arms.

"Rias…" He whispered.

"I have come." She spoke gently. "It was you who summoned me, was it not?"

He didn't respond, he didn't have the energy for it. Whatever was keeping him alive by this point, it was not of his own power.

"You are near death, Jonathan Hyodo. But this need not be your time." She continued. "I can offer you an escape, if you so desire….in exchange for your eternal soul."

His senses were non-existent, yet he could have sworn he saw her sprout a pair of batlike black wings, similar to Yuma's.

"Do you want to live?" She asked him in a deathly serious tone.

He didn't respond.

"Do you want to live?" She asked again. "Please answer me. Yes, or no."

Maybe it was fear that gripped him. Maybe it was the anger he felt, or the pain of his loss. Whatever his reasoning, be it madness or despair, one thing and one thing only stuck out clearly in Jon's mind. He was not ready to die here. Not until he had some answers for all this shit. And so as she asked one final time. His head nodded ever so slightly.

A tiny smirk formed on her lips. "Then the deal is done. The pact is sealed."

Jon's body floated into the air as Rias produced a chess piece, the Pawn, from her pocket and placed it in his open wound. The piece began to glow and burn like a fire inside him. Stitching flesh back together and snapping bone back into place.

"From this moment forward, you will live your life for my sake, Jonathan Hyodo. From now on…" She placed a tender kiss upon his forehead. "You. Are. Mine."

His consciousness faded completely. As the world deadened around him, his wound sealed shut, and his blood began to pump through his body once more.


	5. Chapter 5

::Author's Note::

I'd like to start by saying thank you to some of those who have left reviews on the first four chapters of the Arc. Venidoll, Apple424, and nm707512, thank you all for your comments and critiques. I'd like to take a moment to address some concerns that were brought to my attention, as well as answer a few questions regarding the way chapter four ended.

Venidoll, I appreciate your comment and am glad you approve of the character change. Getting an OC character over with an established fandom can be tricky sometimes so it makes me hopeful that you find him to be well written. However, your comment brings up an issue I want to address.

Again, I'd like to reiterate that I don't necessarily see Issei as a bad, or poorly written character. I just don't have any desire to write him. There are already hundreds of other fanfictions out there that have done so, and if you want another Issei fanfiction, I can recommend several. Just not mine. This is my take on the story, and replacing Issei with my OC is not something I intend to change. Period.

Apple424, I'm very happy to hear you're enjoying the writing. If there are any aspects of my story that confuse you, however, please feel free to message me or review again and I'll answer any questions you have as best I can without spoiling the plot.

And nm707512, I wanted to address an issue you brought up regarding the way chapter four ended. I understand it may seem a bit anticlimactic the way I did things, but it was not without reason. While I don't want to spoil too much of the plot to come, I do want to establish a few critical pieces of information.

Jon failed to notice that Yuma was a Fallen Angel because he has never encountered them before. I mentioned briefly in a previous chapter how he had 'heard' of higher beings with powers beyond his comprehension, but he has never actually seen those beings face to face. Jon has never seen a Devil, or a Fallen Angel up close before until now. In fact, he barely knows what they truly are...at least not yet.

Raynare, at least in my canon, is incredibly powerful. Especially compared to Jon in his current state. She has dozens, if not hundreds of spells in her arsenal that allow her to not only fool Jon, but even Rias for a time. If even she couldn't see through Raynare's illusions, you know good and well Jon couldn't have either. Which brings me to my next point.

Jon has heightened senses, yes, but his strength, speed, and stamina were all still comparable to that of a human. Even if Jon had been aware of what Yuma was, the difference in power would have made surviving an open fight with her all but impossible, as up until then he had mostly been using skill, cunning, and guile to defeat even just lesser creatures of the Underworld. Unfortunately for him...

Being with Yuma made him sloppy. I referenced this in a bit in chapter three where he nearly forgets to bring his gun with him on their date. Unfortunately, the more she managed to wrap her pretty little finger around him, the more forgetful he became. The Jon we see at the end of chapter four is a Jon that has been 'softened' by the love he felt for her. Turning him into the perfect victim.

Lastly, Jon's death as a human being anticlimactic is sort of what I was going for. He's a living legend among Hunters brought down in such a spectacularly careless way. His loneliness, his isolation, and his desire to live a normal life gave his enemies a weakness they could exploit, and they did so. Striking him at a moment where he was most vulnerable. Ultimately, it was his Human qualities that proved to be his downfall.

But thanks to Rias, that's not something he has to worry about anymore.

I hope I was able to clarify any confusion. While I don't plan on changing how Jon join's Rias's Peerage as I'm fairly content with the direction I'm taking that part of the story, I am going ahead and uploading chapter five, and will upload chapter six very soon. As I feel these next two chapters will really help establish the new canon I am building here.

With that said, here is Chapter Five. I hope you all enjoy.

::End Note::

The Vampire Carlia shrieked in agony as Jon splashed her with Holy Water. The death grip she had on his throat slackened and he fell to the ground, sucking in the oxygen he had been nearly completely deprived of. Jon dove for his weapon and fired six shots straight into her chest. Carlia lurched backwards but did not fall. With the last of his strength, he pulled the kris from his boot that Father Kyle had given him and lunged, stabbing her in the heart.

The Elder Vampire shrieked in unholy agony as the dagger in her chest burned her from the inside out. Fire erupted from the sockets where her eyes used to be, as well as from her throat. She slowly burned into a pile of ash until Carlia was no more.

With his foe felled, Jon limped over to his fallen mentor, his own vision starting to fade as the gaping wound in his side continued to bleed profusely. Father Kyle laid upon the stone wall of the Elder Vampire's Haven. Clutching at the wound on his neck.

"She's gone, right?" His breathing was shallow. "You got her, didn't you?"

Jon sat himself down next to his mentor, still clutching at his wounded side. "Yeah, she's gone. That dagger you gave me did the trick."

"You must tell no one about that weapon." Despite his weakened state his voice was deathly severe. "Not a soul. It was Devil's magic in that blade."

"Where did you even get it from?" Jon asked, doing his best to ignore the pain in his side.

"That's not important. Let's just be thankful that it worked."

"Amen to that." Jon joked in a blithe manner.

Both men chuckled despite knowing it was likely they would not make it out of the crypt alive.

"You still got some smokes on you?" Father Kyle asked.

Jon nodded, having already placed one in his mouth and lighting up. He offered the pack to Kyle once he was done before lighting it for him. "I thought you quit."

"I did." He chuckled, taking a drag of the smoke and letting the nicotine relax his body. "Newports, right? Unfiltered."

Jon nodded, too tired to speak.

"That's the same brand your Father used to smoke." He observed. "Of all his habits you could have picked up, why did it have to be this one that stuck?"

Jon laughed at him before wincing as another sharp pain hit his side. "I know it sounds stupid, but the truth is...these remind me of him. He never smoked around me or my sister, but that didn't change the fact his clothes always reeked of the things." He sighed, tilting his head back and shutting his eyes. "I got used to the smell. I guess it was...comforting."

They sat in silence for a moment. Both men bracing for the inevitable.

"Your father would be proud of you. Your mother too." Father Kyle's voice was barely a whisper. "Heaven knows I am….my Son."

It was too much effort to offer more than a slight grin in return. "Yeah? Well I'm sure you'll change your mind by next week." He joked. "Mother Suzan hasn't finished telling you about my antics with what's her name from the Chapter in Brazil."

There was only silence in response.

"Aww, come on. I swear it wasn't that bad." Jon chuckled.

Again, only silence.

"Father Kyle?"

He never got his reply. Moments later, the cigarette fell from his mouth and all faded into darkness.

* * *

Jon lurched up from his bed in a cold sweat, his body ragged and breathless. A nightmare, it had all just been one terrible nightmare. None of it really happened. Yuma hadn't killed him. It was nothing but a bad dream.

He took a few more deep breaths and smiled, turning to his girlfriend who was sleeping right next to him.

"Darlin, you are never gonna believe the dream I just-"

Except she wasn't there. Jon checked around his room but found no trace of her. And that was when he saw the bloody clothes on the floor.

He quickly jumped out of bed and ran over to them before inspecting the rags. His heart sunk. They were the clothes he was wearing the day before, including his jacket, now all covered in what he had to assume was the blood leftover from where she stabbed him. As well as a gaping hole in both the front and back from where the spear entered his sternum and then exited.

Jon swore under his breath, tossing the ruined garments aside and darting into the bathroom next. Upon switching on the light, he was greeted to the sight of a massive scar in the middle of his chest. One the exact size of the spear that stabbed him.

His mind reeled on itself. It wasn't a dream after all. Yuma...his Yuma, seriously tried to kill him last night. As painful as the realization was, Jon wasn't about to let himself fall into despair just yet. He needed answers first.

The first thing that came to mind in his addled state was to try his phone. He made his way over to his bedside table and picked up his cellphone, whereupon he began scrolling through his contact information.

He cursed out loud once he saw her number was no longer there. But his fear only heightened upon realizing that all her text messages were gone as well. The more he searched through his phone, the worse it got. Emails, photos, social media updates, all gone. It was like someone had come in and completely purged every trace of her from his phone.

A horrifying thought crossed his mind. Just as he was about to spiral into genuine panic, a knock on the door brought him back down to reality. Jon cautiously approached the door, checking through the peephole first. Upon seeing Matsuda and Motohama outside, he immediately swung it open.

"Hey, Bro!" Matsuda greeted in a chipper voice. "You been feeling alright?"

"We've been worried about you, man." Motohama spoke up while fiddling with his glasses. "You've been MIA for the past few days."

"Guys, listen!" Jon cut them off. "I need you to tell me when the last time you saw Yuma was. It's very important!"

They both exchanged confused looks with one another before turning back to him.

"Who?" Matsuda asked.

A knot formed in Jon's stomach. "Yuma." He repeated with severe emphasis. "My girlfriend. The woman I've been seeing all semester."

Matsuda blinked at him. "You have a girlfriend? That's news to me."

"Yeah." Motohama agreed. "This is the first I've heard of this chick. Is she hot?"

This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. Jon refused to believe what it was he was hearing right now.

"Don't bullshit me!" He angrily shouted. "Are you two seriously saying you can't remember her?"

"Dude, I don't know what to tell you." Matsuda replied, slightly put off. "That names not ringing any bells."

"We never met this girl." Motohama insisted. "As far as we know, you don't have a girlfriend."

Jon's whole body went completely numb. His worst fears had been realized. It wasn't just that she was erased from his phone, it was as if she had been completely erased from existence.

"You gonna be okay?" Matsuda asked, concern in his voice.

He swallowed back the bile forming in his throat before speaking again. "Listen...forget what I said. I ain't been feeling well lately."

Motohama took a healthy step back. "You're not contagious are you?"

"I don't think so, but yall better stay away for now just in case. Alright?"

"Hey man, don't gotta tell us twice." Matsuda added, already covering his mouth with his shirt.

Jon shut the door and rested his back against it while slowly sliding down onto the floor. He needed to get a grip on reality before this threatened to drive him completely mad. There was only one last measure he could think of. Yuma's apartment. If it was still there, he'd know he wasn't going crazy. He quickly went to go get dressed, pulling on a fresh pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. Since his nice leather jacket was ruined, he instead wore an old hoodie he kept in his spare clothes drawer. The thing had holes in it as well as a few stains but it was better than nothing.

Once he was dressed, Jon opened his desk drawer and experienced the faintest hint of relief to find his gun was still where he left it. The moment he picked it up, however, he immediately dropped it again, howling in pain for a split second and clutching his now burning palm.

The sting quickly wore away and Jon inspected his hand thoroughly for any trace of burns. Once he found none he glared down at the weapon on the ground in total bafflement. All he did was pick the thing up, yet it felt like he had just placed his hand on a red hot stove eye. He cautiously knelt down towards his revolver and gingerly reached out to touch it. The moment his finger made contact with the metal that same burning sensation came back. He quickly shot his hand away, cursing under his breath whilst shaking out the pain.

"The hell is going on here?" He muttered to himself.

Unsure of what else to do, Jon grabbed a hand towel from the bathroom and carefully tried to pick it up again. It took a moment but the burning sensation did indeed start to come back. Almost like it was burning through the towel to reach towards his palm. He quickly wrapped the burning revolver in the towel and stuffed it in his hoodie before making his way to the door. Jon then locked his apartment behind him before heading towards Yuma's apartment. Or at least, what he hoped was Yuma's apartment.

* * *

As usual, the walk to Yuma's apartment wasn't far. But something about it today felt different. It was like Jon was having to put more effort into his steps. His lungs felt heavier and his ears would ring obnoxiously every now and then for no apparent reason. The sensation felt similar to how he would get whenever a bad cold was coming on. But Jon wasn't sick, he was sure of that. So what was it about today that had him feeling so...weak?

The morning sun kept beating down on him. It was obnoxious, that constant burning ball of light. The Ray's stinging his skin like small needles. No matter how much he tried, he just couldn't quite seem to get his eyes to adjust properly. Finally having had enough, he decided to cover himself with his hood.

He almost instantly started to feel better. Not by much, but the difference made in covering himself from the light wasn't only noticeable, it was damn near instantaneous.

Was he allergic to the sun now?

Something else he noticed was how everyone he passed seemed to be speaking in perfect English. Normally when Jon walked down these streets he'd be lucky to here so much as a hello in anything other than Japanese. Yet as he walked the streets of his town that morning, it was nothing but European accents and clipped voices.

What the hell was going on?

Most of what happened to him last night was still in fragments. But it was slowly starting to come back in little bits and pieces. And what he did remember, he didn't like one bit. But rather than focus on something he had no control over, he decided to keep his mind present on the current task. And so after a brief walk back to the complex Yuma's apartment was located in, Jon felt a wave of relief to be indoors.

"Thank Christ that's over with." He said out loud.

A horrible stabbing pain shot through his skull. He winced sharply as the feeling subsided. Now what the hell was that? As he mulled it over for a second, a thought occurred to him. Jon stood up and braced himself for what he was about to try.

"God." He spoke aloud.

Sure enough, another sharp pain in his head. Worse than any migraine he had ever felt.

"Jesus."

Yet another sharp stab.

"Christ."

Yet another, with each one getting progressively worse. Finally, he tried once more.

"Christo!

His vision turned white as a red hot searing pain melted his skull. Jon clutched at his burning temples, desperate to make it stop. Finally, after a few moments of unbearable agony, the pain mercifully subsided into a dull throb.

He could no longer say the Lord's name. Even just thinking about it gave him a headache. The severity of this development was not lost on him. While lesser men would assume they were going nuts or simply having a stroke, Jon had been exposed to the supernatural. The Priests of his order had taught him much in the way of Demonic entities. But there was one universal truth to all of them.

All creatures of Hell flinch in the name of God.

He didn't want to consider it. He didn't even want to entertain the possibility of what might have happened to him last night. But deny as much as he could, there was no getting around the sheer volume of evidence to what he had become.

Just focus, Jon. He repeated to himself. Focus on finding Yuma.

Jon quickly made his way up the stairs to the fourth floor of the complex. He was thankful the building was still there at least. Then again it would be silly for an entire apartment complex to vanish for one person. That didn't mean he would find anything.

His spirits brightened upon seeing her apartment door number. It was still there! Jon quickly ran up to the door, unsure what he was going to do, or how he would go about it, but was determined to do something all the same. He knocked three times and waited.

But no one answered.

That now all too familiar pit formed in his stomach. Jon knocked again. No answer. He tried once more. No answer. And then again, and once more after that. A door finally opened, but it wasn't hers. It was her neighbor.

"Can I help you, Sir?" The older Japanese man asked him in a polite, calm tone. Speaking perfect English.

"I'm sorry to bother you." Jon replied. "I'm looking for the young woman who lives in this apartment."

The man considered him for a moment, casting a squirrely gaze at Jon as if not quite understanding.

"I'm sorry. But no one lives there. That apartment has been vacant for over a year."

Jon took a moment to collect himself, taking a few deep breaths even as his body began to tremble. "Are you sure?" He asked, desperation in his voice.

The older man nodded. "I'm sure. I am the landlord after all."

Jon nodded, his expression becoming vacant. "I...I'd like to see it please. May I go inside?"

"What is this about, young man?" He asked with concern. "You seem troubled by something."

"Please…" He barely managed to speak. "...I just need to see it. Just for a minute."

The landlord frowned in worry, unsure what to do. But seeing the desperation in Jon's eyes, he finally relented. Deciding whatever he needed inside that empty apartment must have been important. He went back inside and grabbed the correct key before returning and unlocking the door for him.

"Thank you." He replied gratefully, bowing with respect.

The landlord nodded and returned to his apartment. "Just remember to lock it when you're done."

Jon slowly reached for the handle and turned the knob before pushing the door open. It was just as the older man had said. The apartment was completely empty. Devoid of anything that once made this place what it was. As Jon slowly walked through the now barren apartment, painful memories came flooding back. The couch where Yuma did her little nun routine for him was gone, as was all the paintings in the living room. Entering the kitchen, the table he sat at while he watched her make coffee the day they met was gone too. He could still almost picture her in that skimpy little nighty. Finally, Jon slowly made his way back to the bedroom. The place where he awoke beside her for the first time.

He opened the door and his whole world came crashing down around him. There, in the center of the empty bedroom, was his guitar. Now, like everything else in his life, smashed horribly to pieces.

* * *

Jon sat in the grass outside the track field, numb to the world around him. Matsuda and Motohama had tried and failed to get him to cheer up. With Motohama going so far as to suggest a visit to one of the local Hostess bars.

If looks could kill…

After that they decided it was best to leave him alone. It was better that way. No one else deserved to have to feel what he was going through right now.

It was hard to tell which was worse, the pain of knowing his Yuma was gone. Or the pain of knowing she was never really his to begin with. All Jon knew was that it hurt worse than any headache or any burn to his hand. This was an old wound that had been reopened, one he had thought long ago sealed shut.

The pain of betrayal and the pain of loss, all rolled into one.

"Umm, hi."

Jon turned his tired eyes up towards the woman standing in front of him. It was the girl from the track team. The one he flirted with a few months ago. Only now she was speaking English and had acquired a flawless North American accent.

"Hey." He answered lifelessly.

"Do you remember me?" She asked curiously, a bright smile on her face.

He didn't respond, rather he simply nodded before lowering his head again.

"It's just...I saw you sitting here all by yourself and I…" Her smile waned as she saw the dead look in his eyes. "...I was wondering if you were okay."

He remained silent as she took a seat next to him.

"The thing is...I wanted to apologize." She finally admitted.

"What for?" He asked, still not looking at her.

"When you came up to me that time, I told you I had a boyfriend." She said, clutching her knees up to her chest. "I lied. That's just something I say so guys who won't take a hint back off."

Again, he stayed quiet.

"But with you…" A slight blush crept over her cheeks. "...I don't know. I feel like maybe I might have blown my chance there. You seem like a really great guy, and I was just wondering-"

"Let me ask you something." He cut her off. "Do you know what Hell is like?"

She gave him a weird look. "I...no...no I don't."

"I was always curious…" He continued. "...what those who were condemned went through in the afterlife. What kind of pain equated to eternal damnation." His eyes lazily scanned over the slowly setting sun. "But now I can't help but wonder if maybe that whole eternal damnation thing was nothing but a crock."

She wasn't sure what to say to this, only that she was beginning to regret sitting down.

"I mean...if your whole life is already nothing but pain, how much worse can it possibly be? How much more can be taken away from you?" He pondered. "Would a man who's gone through hell on Earth really be able to tell the difference? Or would he just be numb to it all after a while."

"Are you okay?" She asked again sincerely.

He chuckled in an unsettling manner. "A man I used to look up to once told me that he believed Devils didn't used to be Angels. That when Angels fell, they came to the mortal world desperately looking for a way to claw back up. As for Devils, he believed that they were once people, like you and me. People whose hearts have gone numb to their own pain, and thus numb to the pain they inflict on others. Back then...I never quite understood what he meant by that." A hideous scowl slowly formed on his face as his body began to quiver with rage.

"But I do now." He spoke in a voice that was not his own.

He looked straight into her eyes. Her terror stricken, petrified eyes.

"What are you?" She asked in a trembling voice, slowly backing away before getting up and bolting. No doubt to the nearest church to seek its blessings, Jon surmised.

For whatever reason, he began to laugh. Laugh harder than he had in a long while. His heart was beating again. It was a loud angry pulse that demanded his attention. Honestly, it was good to feel emotions again, even if it was just anger. The sun was setting and night would fast approach. As the light faded he could feel the air return to his lungs, the dull throb disappear from his temples, his muscles becoming limber once more. Jon stood up and stretched, breathing in the crisp night air and feeling alive again.

No more sulking, he decided. Tonight, he was going to live a little.

* * *

Rias had been bouncing for the past hour. Then again, she had every right to be giddy. Jon couldn't have turned out more perfect if he'd tried. When she fantasized about the kind of Devil he would become, she never thought to consider that the reality would be so much better than anything she had dreamed up.

"He's taking her inside." Akeno reported, watching through the looking glass as the newest Devil of House Gremory indulged in every sinful urge that gripped his newfound body. "And it looks like he's about to break out the toys he bought." Her face was heated and her voice caught with excitement as she continued to report his activity.

"Ughh, how typically Male." Koneko responded with disgust. "He joins the ranks of Hell's elite and the first thing he wants to do is buy a prostitute."

"So in the past two hours he's managed to drink three times his normal volume in liquor, beat up an entire street gang in a bar fight, rob them of their money, and use it to pay for an escort service." The blonde boy sitting next to Koneko on the couch in the chapter room observed. "It's as if he's trying to knock out every deadly sin in one night." He added with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"He's efficient at least." Koneko admitted. "But don't you guys think he's had enough shallow fun for one night?"

"This is his awakening." Rias reminded her. "And I want it to be special for him. Let the boy enjoy himself for awhile."

"But aren't you worried he's going to get in trouble? If the Fallen Angels were to find out he's still alive…"

The Club President considered her words carefully. As much as she didn't want to rob her new Servant of his first night of debauchery, she had to admit that was a very real possibility. "What do you think, Kiba?"

The blonde boy named Kiba sat up straight in his seat. "In this instance, I feel inclined to agree with Koneko. Under the circumstances, it's possible he may be drawing too much attention to himself."

Rias nodded. "Very well, we'll extract him tonight at midnight. Then his new life can really begin."

The thought of it made her blood pump. She'd waited years for this moment, and now it was finally time. Her Pawn was coming home.

"We'll need a plan of action in the event any enemies decide to show up. Any ideas, Akeno? Akeno?"

The Club President turned her head to see her Queen Piece had all but bitten through her knuckle, drawing blood in the process. Her face was flushed with excitement at the scene unfolding in front of her and her breath was filled with arousal. Whatever Jon was doing to that escort, it must have been particularly naughty. Akeno always had been something of an S&M freak.

Rias chuckled at her, shaking her head in disbelief. "Very well then. We'll let him, and Akeno, enjoy themselves for awhile longer."

* * *

Jon had never fucked a maid before. Granted an escort wearing a french maid outfit and dressed in pigtails probably didn't count, but the sentiment was the same either way. Sure she wasn't 'technically' an escort, just like he wasn't 'technically' paying her with someone else's money. The company he hired her from made it very clear they were a housekeeping service. Just one of those words that let humans circumvent the system. What happened between two adults behind closed doors, after all, was nobody's business but their own.

The rules he set down were clear. She was to call him Master and nothing else, and from there he lead her to the bedroom. But not before having her clean his apartment a little. It was a housekeeping service after all. And he'd be lying if he said watching her sweep up his broken guitar into a trash bag and take it out to the dumpster wasn't morbidly gratifying.

From there though, it was all business. She wasn't nearly as responsive a play partner as Yuma was. Then again he had anticipated that, considering this was all for cash. So he decided ahead of time he wouldn't worry about what she wanted, and just indulge in his own desires.

That's what the toys were for.

Now she wasn't just a maid. She was a kitten maid, with her own set of ears and a fluffy little tail. Watching her struggle as he inserted that plug brought him no small amount of excitement, and really got the blood pumping in his veins.

From there he simply let loose. Giving in to his animalistic urges while she screamed his title and did her best to take everything that was given to her on hands and knees. And when it was all over, he finished on her face. He'd never done that to a woman before. When he was still human he considered the act to be beneath him. But watching her open her mouth and stick out her tongue the way she did changed his mind about all the moves he'd seen in those cheap pornos Matsuda and Motohama used to rent.

Maybe next time he'd buy them a couple of housemaids too. Lord knows they were hopeless in the dating scene. But as he was quickly discovering, money spoke volumes. Even if it wasn't technically yours.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Master?" His kitten maid asked in her falsely sincere voice.

Jon shook his head and lit up a cigarette. Normally this was the part where he would cuddle up next to Yuma for a bit of aftercare, let her cry on his shoulder or just snuggle up to watch a movie. But thinking about doing that now just pissed him off. Especially when he was reminded of the fact that she was probably faking every tear that landed on him. This girl was faking it too, whether she wanted to admit it or not. Her real reason for being here had nothing to do with him, but his wallet. So he'd leave a nice tip instead. She played her part well after all.

"You can clean yourself up in the bathroom." He said before taking a long drag from his smoke. "Your money's on the table in the kitchen."

She nodded, removing the ears and, very delicately, the plug as well. He snickered to himself as she struggled to get it free.

"Then I'll be on my way." She bowed to him politely, being sure to grab her panties from off the floor. "Thank you for using our services."

Once she had cleaned up and left with the money, Jon dressed himself and decided what he would do next. The night was still young, and he certainly didn't feel like sleeping. Something about being out at night really made him feel alive. If he had to guess, it was the exact same reason being out in the Sun made him feel like crap.

It was because he wasn't human anymore.

Maybe he'd go by Matsuda's place. Right about now he and Motohama would probably be watching a hentai and doing their best not to look at each other while they tried to jerk off. If he happened upon another group of street thugs along the way, maybe he could even treat them to one of those Hostess Bars they were going on about.

After that...well...after that…

What did come after that. Was this really all his life was going to be now? Another monster prowling the night, looking to prey on the weak while indulging in such shallow desires? His whole life as a human had been nothing but a cruel joke, but it still had purpose. After he successfully killed that Vampire, his reason for living became to get rid of this mark on his arm. But now that didn't matter anymore, he had failed spectacularly in that regard. So what was left?

The thought was depressing, considering in the back of his mind he knew he'd quickly get bored of this. But he decided it wasn't an issue worth dwelling on. Jon made his way outside and onto the dark streets, deciding he would enjoy this high for as long as he possibly could.

* * *

The night used to scare him. Jon wasn't afraid to admit that to himself. He used to be terrified of the dark, simply because he knew what lurked in it. Now the night was comfortable. He felt like he belonged there, then again he did. His heightened senses were sharper than ever. He couldn't just see perfectly in the dark anymore, he could sense its presence. Sights, sounds, smells, everything seemed to blur together into an entirely new sense he hadn't even known existed. While it took a minute to get used to, he quickly found himself enamored with this new found vision.

That wasn't to say it didn't have its drawbacks. His hearing, especially, was far too acute for his own good. The little girl whining to her mother from a block away about a toy she wanted her to buy may as well have been crying directly into his ear for how damned loud it seemed. It was beyond irritating. And the more it continued, the faster his blood pumped.

Maybe he should indulge in a little more senseless violence, next? He was certainly pent up enough to where another fight didn't sound half bad. Preferably one where his opponent didn't fight back too much.

A pang of something he wasn't expecting stabbed his heart, completely derailing the steady high he was riding on. Was this...guilt? He could still feel that? What was the point of being a hellspawn if you still felt remorse? Jon sighed, he decided to chalk that one up to still being new to this life. The human in him hadn't completely died yet it seemed.

But he was certain with enough time, and enough effort, he could squash it entirely.

* * *

Jon took a walk, a long one. The comedown from his rush of adrenaline had been extreme and now he found himself becoming hopelessly sentimental. Against his better judgement, he decided to visit all the places he remembered his ex-girlfriend most fondly. The streets where the cheapskate game vendor ran his business. The restaurant where she teased him with whipped cream. The bridge where they first became a couple.

And then finally, of course, the public park with the large ornate fountain. The place where she betrayed him and ended his life as a human forever. He took a seat on the fountain's edge, lighting another cigarette and gazing up at the stars.

"Yuma...you're not here anymore." He sighed glumly, speaking to the stars. "It's funny, I'm trying to picture you right now. But I just keep getting this stupid shit. Like the smell of your bathroom, or the color of your wallpaper. That's not your doing is it?"

Of course, only crickets responded. Loud, noisy, obnoxious crickets.

"Do you even have that power? To erase yourself from someone's mind? Or is that the human in me just trying to forget?" Jon twirled the smoke between his fingers. Angered by the silence.

"I had so little left to give." He continued undeterred. "But you went and took what remained anyway, didn't you? You both did."

The sound of rushing water behind him did nothing to calm him down.

"That's right, both of you. You and the one who made you. You're both responsible as far as I'm concerned."

His grip tightened on the smoke until it snapped in half between his fingers. A cruel smile formed on his lips.

"I figured out the trick, by the way. I can say your name just as long as I'm not asking you for anything." His voice became bitter, spiteful. "Tell me...what kind of God let's a man endure so much without anything in return? I lost everything serving you. My family, my mentor, my trust...but I kept going...all because I thought that maybe...maybe...it would get better." He chuckled lifelessly. "But it never did. And now I've got nothing left to give." He hung his head low while resting his elbows on his knees. "I don't know if you're looking at me right now with what...anger? Scorn? Pity?" He sighed, shaking his head. "Or maybe just indifference?"

Jon looked up at the sky again, not sure what he could possibly expect to happen.

"I just...I just needed something. Anything. Just one thing to let me know I was doing right." He laughed bitterly. "I wasn't asking you for all the answers, all I wanted was a sign. A sign! Anything to let me know you were listening!"

Nothing.

"I thought she was it...I honestly thought she was it." He took one last, melancholy, breath. "But now? Now, I'm not looking for anymore signs. I'm done trying to figure out what the hell you wanted from me."

Jon dipped his hands backwards into the pool of water before wringing them together. "I'm washing my hands of you, just as you've probably washed your hands of me."

He stood up from the fountain before taking out his last smoke and popping it in his mouth. It hit him the moment he went to light his cigarette, a familiar sense of unease that brought back painful memories. The last time he felt this, he was stabbed in the chest. Jon put the smoke away, honing his senses for anything out of place. Sure enough, a set of footsteps coming towards him caught his attention.

A few moments later, a tall, lean man with black hair, clad in a fancy two piece suit and fedora appeared off in the distance. The man stopped upon seeing Jon, and the two stared at each other for a moment.

"Such a shame." He spoke calmly in what was a distinctly creole accent. "That I would have to run into you here, of all people."

Jon stared the man down, his hand slowly reaching for the gun in his hoodie. "Do I know you?"

"I know you." The man replied. "You're that Hunter boy that Raynare was sweet on for awhile. The one with the Mark of the Dragon." He pulled out a case containing a line of cigars before popping one in his mouth and lighting it. "The one who's apparently come back from the dead."

"Raynare? Who is…"

Jon suddenly realized who he was referring to. That must have been her real name. He narrowed his eyes keenly at the stranger. His heart beating like a wardrum in his chest. Every instinct in his body told him to kill this man, whoever he was. And he was happy to oblige.

A sinister grin formed on his lips. "Well...if you really know Yuma, then you should know, any friend of hers…" He wasn't aware of it, but his eyes began to glow. "...is an enemy of mine!"

Jon drew his revolver with the same quick reflexes he remembered as a human. A white hot pain shot through his hand as the weapon immediately dropped on the ground. In his haste to kill the man in front of him, Jon had completely forgotten he couldn't actually hold his weapon anymore.

The being in front of him laughed mockingly. "Looks like that gun doesn't work for you anymore, I'm afraid." He reached out with his hand and the revolver seemingly flew from the ground directly into his outstretched palm. He twirled it on his finger like he'd practiced with that revolver his whole life before pointing it directly at Jon's stunned body.

"Me on the other hand…"

He fired, catching Jon directly in the right knee. The pain that surged through his entire leg was indescribable. He'd been shot before, but it certainly didn't feel like this.

"Now you've gotten a taste of your own medicine." He continued to mock him. "Sucks being on the receiving end of one of these things, doesn't it?" The man inspected the revolver thoughtfully. "Though I gotta say, it's not a bad piece." He stuffed it in his jacket pocket. "I think I'll hold onto this after I finish the job your Ex started."

Two black wings, just like Yuma's, sprouted from his back. In that moment Jon felt something he hadn't felt in awhile. Palpable fear. He needed to get away. Launching with all his strength on his good knee he jumped back six feet and began hobbling as best he could. His right leg was completely useless, and could bare almost no weight. But it didn't matter, he was running on instinct at this point.

It was ultimately a fruitless effort. The man with black wings took off into the sky, raining feathers down upon him much as Yuma had done after saying her final farewell. He landed daintely in front of Jon, who fell backwards onto the ground.

"Such cowardice." He sneered while puffing on his cigar. "I expected more from the man they call Heaven's Revolver."

Jon slowly backed away from him as best he could.

"Of course, without this gun you can't really claim that title anymore, can you?" The being continued to mock him, patting his coat where he had stashed the weapon. "Let's see here, I don't see any sign of your Master around. You're not trying to disappear right now, or form any magic circles. And I sense absolutely no magic energy forming around you." He took a long drag of his cigar before blowing a perfect smoke halo into the air. "With all this in mind, I can deduce that you are nothing but a stray. Which means there should be absolutely no penalty for destroying you here and now."

The being reached out with his free hand, a blue spear of light forming in it. Jon took the opportunity to perform a leg sweep, ignoring the searing pain in his bad leg. The Angel tumbled to the ground and swore angrily as the cigar was knocked out of his mouth. Jon turned around and stood up on his good leg, hobbling away as best he could. He didn't make it far before he was hit with the most unbearable pain imaginable. Jon fell to his knees, unable to even scream from the intense, blinding, torture now protruding from his gut.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" The black winged man asked in a condescending tone, slowly sauntering up to him while continuing to enjoy his cigar regardless. "When you were still human I imagine you hardly even felt it when Yuma's lance entered your chest." A sardonic grin crept over his lips. "But light's a deadly poison to a creature like what you've become."

Jon could barely breathe, let alone think. He couldn't even attempt to remove the spear from his abdomen as it continued to sear the flesh around the entry and exit wounds.

"For what it's worth, I'm impressed that initial shot didn't kill ya. You even managed to knock me flat on my ass. That hasn't happened in at least two hundred years." He admitted. "You really are made out of tough stuff, Hunter. But that doesn't change the fact that you've spent your whole life chasing after vermin. Lesser beings hardly worth their immortal title." He finished off the last of his cigar and tossed what remained on the ground before stubbing it out. "This ain't the minor leagues anymore kid. By signing that contract with your Master, you officially entered the Pros. A revolver and some martial arts just ain't gonna cut it anymore."

A small smirk formed on Jon's wounded face. "Really?" He rasped in pain. "Then how about this?"

Before the angel could react he tossed a white phosphorus bomb directly into the Angel's eyes. The grenade went off with a white flash, blinding his attacker who clutched at his eyes, screaming and cursing in pain. With the last of his strength Jon tried to stand up. No good, between the spear and his leg it was a wonder he was still conscious. As it was he could only crawl away ineffectively.

If there was any solace to this, it was that he was going out with a solid fuck you to this dickbag.

The man with black wings, having recovered, glared at the Hunter with an intense rage. He ran up to Jon and kicked him in the side, hard. "Stubborn little shit!"

Though he didn't feel it, Jon was certain the blow had cracked some ribs. He was officially done.

His attacker took a moment to regain his composure before finding his hat and placing it back on his head. "Alright, so you got more fight in you than I thought." He slowly approached Jon and gripped the shaft of his spear. "Guess all them Legends about you ain't hogwash after all. Doesn't change the fact this fight was over before it even started."

Jon let out a horrid agonized welching noise upon the man removing the spear from his abdomen violently. He took back everything he said about knowing what real pain was. Turns out there were still new depths of agony he had yet to even consider.

His vision began to fade as he braced for the inevitable.

"Welcome to true Hell." The man raised his lance for the Coup de Grace.

A bolt of red lightning surged through the sky, knocking it from his hand.

"What the-?!"

A red circle of strange archaic symbols appeared in front of them. From the blinding red glow that came from it, a woman with blood red hair stepped forward.

"Keep your hands off of him." The woman spoke in a commanding tone.

As his vision faded, Jon could just barely make out the face of the one who saved him.

"R...Rias?" He blacked out and collapsed onto the ground.

The black winged angel stared Rias down. "So...he wasn't a stray after all. Tsk." He shrugged indifferently. "No matter. I'll teach you not to interfere where you don't belong, Devil!"

He hurled the spear as hard as he could at the crimson demon. A white blur moving faster than the eye could detect knocked it harmlessly out of the way, landing in front of Rias in a defensive stance.

"Excellent form, Koneko."

The white haired girl smirked pridefully at the compliment.

An angry scowl formed on the black winged angel's face. He called back for the spear which returned to his hand. "I'm done with you!" He yelled in a blind rage, charging headlong at the two women. A bolt of yellow lightning came down from the heavens above and struck the ground mere inches from his face, forcing him to stumble backwards.

Akeno rejoined the others, a twisted little smirk on her features as her left hand continued to flicker with traces of lightning.

"That hair…" The angel observed. "You're from House Gremory ain't you?"

She smirked at him. "I am Rias Gremory, yes. And who might you be? Other than a Fallen Angel trying to kill one of my servants."

The angel picked himself up and dusted off his clothes. "Well well. So the rumors about this city were true. It's under the control of none other than the next Heir to the infamous Gremory family." He looked over at what remained of Jon, a prideful smirk on his lips. "So he's a part of your household, I take it?"

Her smile turned angry. "If you attempt to bring any more harm to him, I will destroy you."

He chuckled condescendingly at her. "Relax Ms. Gremory. It was all a misunderstanding. Though I will say, it is perhaps unwise to let your servants run loose like this. The next person he encounters may not be as cordial as I."

Her features relaxed. She simply nodded, not giving in to his baiting. "I appreciate the friendly advice, but bare in mind that if an incident like this happens again I will make you regret the day you crossed paths with the House of Gremory, my friend."

The cordial expressions they were offering did nothing to obscure the absolute bloodlust both beings held for one another.

"No offense to your noble household, but bare in mind the same can be said for yourself." He replied before taking off into the sky once more, disappearing into a black hole that formed above him. "My name is Dohnaseek, pray that you and I never again cross paths." His disembodied voice warned as the portal evaporated into a cloud of falling black feathers.

Rias and the others approached Jon's near lifeless body.

"Well that was certainly a close one." Akeno pointed out in a blithe manner. "I wasn't expecting he'd run into another Fallen Angel so soon."

"If we don't do something now, he'll die." Koneko mentioned apathetically.

"That won't happen." Rias assured. "He'll live."

She kneeled down and placed his head in her lap, stroking his hair gently.

"I'll see to it myself."


	6. Chapter 6

**::Author's Note::**

**The feedback I've been getting has been insane. Over a thousand views within the span of forty eight hours is just crazy. Thank all of you who have favorited, followed, and reviewed my work. I'm planning on compiling a list and posting it in the next chapter as a personal thanks, so look forward to that in Chapter Seven.**

**For now, however, I present to you Chapter Six.**

**::End Note::**

"Is he going to be alright, Father?" A small mousey voice spoke up.

"He will be." The man who spoke assured. "He possess one of God's Divine Relics. The boy's destiny is far too important for it to be lost to us now."

"And Father Kyle?" She asked nervously.

He didn't respond.

"I see…." The female voice sounded so sad. "Whatever I can do to speed up his recovery, please let me know."

Jon could barely open his eyes. It was impossible to tell where he was or what was going on.

"You've already done enough already. Thanks to your magic the worst of his injuries have been healed. All that's left to do now is wait."

He heard the man leave. Jon tried multiple times to open his eyes yet still he couldn't. He felt a soft tender hand grasp his.

"Please...please wake up." The small voice begged.

"Wake up."

His vision was blurred. But from the corner of his sight he could see golden blonde hair and tear stained amethyst eyes staring back at him.

"Wake up…"

* * *

When Jon next opened his eyes, it was not from a horrible nightmare as he was accustomed to. For once he seemed to manage to rest peacefully without any flashbacks to one of his dozen or so hellish encounters with the Underworld.

Of course, that could very well have simply been because he was part of the underworld now.

He slowly sat up in his bed, groaning as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His head throbbed horribly, as if waking up from a terrible hangover.

"Damn...what the hell happened last night?"

As the memories of the previous night's events began to slowly return, the sudden sensation of a figure stirring beside him made every nerve in his body jump into action at once. Jon grabbed the wrist of the one laying next to him and pinned it down into the mattress, leaping on top of his would be assailant before pinning down the other arm too.

Rias Gremory stared up at him in surprise, before a revealing grin slowly crept over her features. "Good morning, Jon." She greeted in a sultry tone.

Two things stood out to him at that moment. One, she appeared to be completely naked, and two, so was he.

"You know, if we're going to start the day off like this, the least you can do is light a candle or two first. Maybe set the mood a little?" She teased.

Still processing what the hell was going on, Jon finally managed to come to his senses enough to get off of her and back away from the bed. Rias slowly lurched up and placed herself at the edge, stretching her lithe, curvy, frame while eliciting the most suggestive moans imaginable. Her naked figure was stunning in the early morning light. As stunning as Yuma's, if not more so.

"Why are you here?" He asked, finally managing to form a coherent thought. "The last I remember I was getting ran through the gut by that guy with black wings."

She pouted at him, resting her head daintily upon her knee and forearms. "Is that really the first thing you want to ask me? Not how I managed to save you? Or why, for that matter, I even did?"

He was completely off his guard. Something he wasn't used to. Not knowing how else to get a better handle on the situation, he decided to indulge her.

"Fine, I'll bite. Why'd you save me?"

She stared at him with the same warm, inviting smile on her face for a moment before finally speaking. "Because you and I made a pact. One in which I vowed to protect you so long as you were my Servant."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She sat up from the bed, that look in her eyes never once fading.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Rias Gremory, and I am a Devil. Also, from this moment forward, I am your Master." She explained in a calm, polite manner. "It's nice to finally be properly acquainted with you, Jonathan Hyodo."

There was so much to unpack there, but considering the situation, he decided not to bombard her with a thousand questions all at once, and just stick to the basics.

For instance, why they were both completely naked.

"So did last night really happen?" He asked sincerely. "Or am I just having the worst case of Deja Vu imaginable?"

She chuckled sweetly at him, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand. "No, it really happened. You were injured so badly I spent the entire night by your side healing you." Rias made her way to a set of lacy black underwear with a matching bra she had folded neatly on his desk chair. "How's your tummy, by the way? That was a pretty bad blow you took."

Jon coughed awkwardly, turning his head away to respect her modesty. She stared at him curiously before chuckling again in amusement. "It's okay, I don't mind if you look."

He reluctantly turned his head toward her, watching as she slowly slipped back into her underwear and cupped her breasts back into her bra. "Your body is amazing by the way. I love all the little scars on your torso. Battle wounds, I'm guessing?"

"Most of them." He answered while still trying to get a firmer handle on the situation.

"Well either way, you recovered fairly quickly from the damage. But the light left your body weak." She turned around and brushed her hair to the side, offering him her unhooked back. "Would you do this for me?"

Jon stared at her warily for a moment before finally complying, gently working the hooks of her bra back into place. "So you mind explaining why I'm naked?" He finally asked while he worked.

"I just told you, I had to use my magic to help heal your wounds. It only works if we're both undressed."

Boy, that sure is convenient. He thought to himself. What was it with him and waking up next to gorgeous naked women with absolutely no memory of what happened the night prior?

"Don't worry, I know what you're thinking but we didn't do it. I'm still a virgin as it were."

He cocked a brow at her before finishing with the last hook. That thought had never even crossed his mind, but the fact that it had apparently crossed hers was certainly cause for alarm. "Hold on, you just said something about being a Devil earlier."

Rias nodded mischievously. "I am one, indeed." She then added, tracing a circle around one of her favorite scars on his body with her finger. "I also said I'm your Master."

"My what now?"

She ignored him, continuing to run a circle around her favorite scar. "You know, I really like the name Jonathan. I think I'll let you keep it."

He backed up into his desk, taking a defensive stance. "Now hold on just one daggum minute! I never agreed to this! And where do you get off talking to me like that?"

"Actually, you did agree to it." She stated, not seeming the least bit bothered by his sudden hostility. "Back when you were almost killed for the first time."

His mind went back to that painful memory. Of Yuma stabbing him in the chest and leaving him for dead. Now that she mentioned it, he did vaguely remember a voice speaking to him afterwards. Though the details were fuzzy at best.

"Do you remember that flyer I gave you?" She asked. "That was what you summoned me with. The moment your blood made contact with that paper it brought me to you. You had a choice that night, Jonathan. Life or death. You chose life, and so I gave one to you." She explained as casually as if she were discussing the weather. "But in exchange for that life you now belong to me. That was the agreement."

"Convenient how I barely remember this agreement. Sorry, but I have no intention of being enslaved to a Devil." He replied, opening his desk drawer and searching for his weapon.

"If you're looking for that Revolver of yours you won't find it." She chuckled at him. "The Fallen Angel who attacked you last night got it, remember? A gun like that won't do you much good now, anyway."

She had him there, and if what she was saying about saving him last night was true, that meant that even if he did have it, it probably wouldn't matter. He could feel the power emanating from her gorgeous body even as she sauntered up to him. For now, he would have to be content with just glaring at her coldly.

"Aww, now what's with that face?" She cooed at him, placing her hand on his chin and looking up into his eyes. "You should be overjoyed right now. Your new life is about to begin."

"Why me?" His breath caught at her touch, it was all he could do not to attack as every instinct was screaming at him to do. "Are you after the mark? Why not just take it then. I don't want it."

"Firstly, I can't. As I'm sure your Ex pointed out when she stabbed you, your Mark is irreversibly bound to you and your bloodline. You cannot have one without the other." She explained, caressing his bearded cheek. Drinking in his figure as if trying to memorize every detail. "But secondly, whatever interest I may have in the Red Dragon Sacred Gear is nothing compared to the interest I have in you." She leaned her forehead against his chest, breathing in his scent with a content sigh. "I guess you could say I've become enraptured with you, Jon."

"Pretty words, but I've heard them before." He responded coldly, doing everything he could to back further into the desk. "The last girl who talked to me like that put a spear through my chest. Why the hell should I believe you?"

She looked up at him with a beautiful alluring gaze. "When you fought Carlia the Vampire, your Mentor Father Kyle gave you something. It helped you defeat her, didn't it?"

Jon blanched in terror. "How do you know that?" He barely whispered. "I never said a word about that to anyone."

"I know more about you than any other woman you've ever met, Jon." She spoke in ernest. "Since the mark first appeared on your hand, I've been watching you from my realm. As have many Devils, each with motivations similar to mine. Though while all they see is that mark on your hand, I see so much more than that."

She pressed herself firmly against him. Jon could feel the warmth of her skin against his, feel the perkiness of her breasts through her lacy bra. He focused on keeping his breathing even and his rage in check.

"I see before me a man of indomitable spirit. Who can overcome any obstacle and brave any peril to achieve his goal. I see a man who will follow orders without question, so long as he can achieve his ultimate objective. To me, Jon, you are the very definition of strength. For that reason, I knew I must have you. While it's taken some time to get you here, I can say it was well worth the wait."

"So what? I'm your one true love?" He said in a joking, spiteful manner. "I didn't realize Devils were into sappy romances."

"Oh please, this is nothing of the sort. My feelings for you are not so fragile or fleeting as love is." She shook her head insistently. "No no no, this is so much more than that. I told you Jon, I wanted you to be mine body and soul. When you wake up in the morning and shower, I want to know it was because I allowed you to. When you take the life of another being, I want it to be in my name. When you pick up some pretty thing at the bar and take her home, I want you to know in the back of your mind that I am allowing you to fuck her. I wanted to own you, Jon. And now I do."

The finality of her words unsettled him in ways he didn't think were even possible. This wasn't some infatuation or baseless obsession. This was a calculated and incredibly detailed possessiveness. Something, he knew, only a Devil would be capable of.

"What if I refuse to play along?"

Her smile vanished instantly and she sighed in disappointment. "That would certainly be problematic. This will go a lot smoother for both of us if you comply without hesitation." She began to trail two fingers up his abs and towards his chest. "Honestly though, I don't think you'll disobey me. I've watched you long enough to know you're not the sort to let yourself be choked on your own leash." A twisted little smile formed on her lips. "However...since you asked."

She tapped on his sternum once with her pointer finger. Jon felt a sharp pain in his chest as well as his right arm. He suddenly couldn't breathe, collapsing on his knees in front of her and clutching at his side. As quickly as the pain started it was gone just as fast.

Rias knelt down next to him, caressing his cheek sweetly. "Relax, you can breathe now."

"What the hell was that? What did you do?"

"That was me telling your heart to stop beating." She explained. "Only for a second mind you. Just long enough so you could feel it."

"M...my heart?" He looked down at the scar where Yuma had inserted her spear. Something beneath it was glowing, beating in perfect rhythm.

"Your new heart. The one I used to fill the hole in your chest after your Ex destroyed your last one." She cupped his face in her hands and smiled warmly at him. "Well I say it's your heart. But really, you're just borrowing it from me. I gave it to you so you might live, and I can take it away just as easily."

"So that's it then?" He asked, chuckling humorlessly. "I obey or I die?"

"Without me, you would be dead already." She pointed out. "It was a fair deal in my opinion."

"You can't dangle someone's life in front of them like a carrot on a stick and call that a fair deal." He responded through clenched teeth. "Dress it up however you want, but you forced me into this."

She shrugged disinterestedly before standing up and making her way over to her clothes to get dressed. "If that's how you choose to view it, I can't stop you. As I've made it abundantly clear, your consent is no longer required in this agreement." She finished putting her clothes on and turned back to him. "But you know, Jon. This doesn't have to be unpleasant for either of us. I intend to give to you freely everything you ever wanted, and all I ask in return is for your total obedience." She added with a slick smirk. "How is that any different from your previous life?"

He opened his mouth to talk...but no words came out. She had a point. A really good one. That didn't change the fact that her haughty, superior attitude was really starting to piss him off. Rias slowly sauntered back over to him before kneeling down and whispering into his ear.

"And unlike your former Master, I will actually listen to your prayers. All of them." Her breath was hot against his ear, while his own breath caught in his throat. "Whatever you desire, I can give it to you. Money, power, women….revenge."

His eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"That's right...I know where she is." She whispered into his ear, her lips practically touching his cheek and her finger scratching at his chin. "I know how to find her, how to kill her, and can give you everything you need to do it." His heart was racing at a mile a minute, the heart this woman had given him. "I will give all of this to you, happily. And all I ask in return is that you follow me without question for the rest of your life."

Part of him wanted to protest. To fight against this. He knew it was wrong, that it was forsaking everything he once stood for: that his Mentor and Father stood for. But after everything that he had been through, and after years of waiting without answers, finally he had them. By playing along, he'd at least get an explanation for all this.

Was he betraying his family's legacy? He honestly didn't care anymore.

"It's not like I have a choice do I, Ms. Gremory." He spat out her title venomously.

She returned his spite with a devious grin. "Darling, we are so passed honorifics. Call me Rias." She then added. "Consider it an order."

* * *

It didn't take long for people to start talking. Not even a whole day had passed before other students on campus started noticing Rias and Jon together.

And let the gossip games begin. He thought to himself. Still, it was only natural for their to be talk now that two of the Universities most eligible were seemingly off the table.

Jon walked Rias to the building where her first class was being held, as was instructed of him.

"The day is yours until I need you again." She spoke with calm authority. "I'll have someone come fetch you once that occurs."

"Whatever." He replied indifferently.

"Oh and Jon, before you go."

He gave her a curious look. "Hmm?"

"First chance we get, we're buying you new clothes. That hoodie of yours is going in the trash."

"But I like this hoodie!" He protested. "It's comfortable."

"It's atrocious." She replied bluntly. "We'll get you a new wardrobe once we've acquired more suitable accommodations for you."

"More suitable what?!"

Rias had already begun to walk off. If she heard him, she wasn't showing it which only pissed him off more.

"Hey wait! Rias!" He called to her demandingly

"What the fuck, Dude?!"

Jon barely had time to dodge Matsuda's attempt at a hook as he was too distracted. Nevertheless, his buddy went happily careening into a nearby pillar anyway.

"Matsuda, now is really not a good time." He stated wearily.

"We were all worried for you, man! Thinking you were sick or something! But turns out you were just blowing us off so you could hook up with Big Red on the DL." He rubbed his sore cheek from where his face hit the pillar. "How are we supposed to be bros if you keep ditching us to score with hotties?"

"Matsuda, there's no need for that." Motohama placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"But what about bro code!" He whined, crocodile tears streaming down his face.

"Jon's our buddy, let's give him a chance to explain." Motohama pushed up the bridge of his glasses before pointing dramatically at Jon. "Where were you last night? Can you account for your whereabouts over the past two days?"

Jon sighed in exasperation. "Look fellas, I admit I was with Rias. But it ain't what you think." It definitely was not what they thought.

"So then you mean to tell us you didn't spend last night rolling in some Double D's?"

He opened his mouth to speak again, but realized that...technically...they were in fact naked in bed together.

"Now...that's a very complicated question. And-"

"Traitor!" They both yelled at him accusingly.

There was no doubt about it. Next to getting dumped by his girlfriend via spear to the sternum, this was easily the worst day of Jon's life.

* * *

Rias ascended the stairs of the building, heading towards her first class of the day. Once again she couldn't help the small grin on her face, thinking about her newest Servant.

"You seem quite sure of him."

A familiar voice made her stop. A girl who looked to be about her age with dark hair that was just shy of shoulder length and wearing glasses smiled at her from a nearby railing. "It's good to see you, Rias."

She smiled back and nodded, joining her on the second floor balcony. "You as well, Sona."

Sona looked back down at the rather impressive specimen of human that Rias had added to her Peerage as he was seemingly trying to talk down his friends from an argument. "I've never seen you take someone on so impulsively before. And a human no less. What's so special about him?"

Rias smiled, looking down at him as he was carted away by Matsuda and Motohama. No doubt to fulfill some new meaningless obligation they had concocted for him. "It wasn't as impulsive as you think."

Sona gave Rias a suspicious look. From the way the Redhead was looking down at him at that moment, she feared that this was about more than just acquiring a powerful new Pawn.

* * *

After spending an annoying morning watching Matsuda and Motohama get swatted around by the Kendo club, Jon decided to go ahead and attend his Creative Writing class. If for no other reason than he had nothing better to do, and it was one of the few classes of his he actually enjoyed.

The Professor was going over some basic techniques for worldbuilding but Jon spent most of the class just working on song lyrics. Given recent developments, he had to completely scrap his last project.

Really though, it was just an excuse to get his mind off what he had become. Bad enough he was a creature of the Underworld, he was the slave of a Devil now. That manipulative harlot could dress it up in as many fancy labels as she wanted but at the end of the day that's what this was. She was the Master and he was the Servant.

"What are you working on?" His neighbor, a girl named Tomako, asked him.

"Nothing much." He replied. "Just some lyrics to a song. What about you? You seem pretty busy over there."

Her face flushed with embarrassment. "Me? Oh it's just a light novel I've been working on."

"Really? What about?"

"It's about a lone Cowboy who's seduced by the Devil and offers up his eternal soul for her love." She explained, her cheeks getting redder. "I've uhhh, modeled the main character after a guy I like."

He maintained a straight face as best he could. "You don't say?"

At that moment the door opened and every woman in the classroom proceeded to lose their shit.

"Hey, everyone." The blonde haired boy greeted from the entrance.

"Afternoon, Kiba." The Professor greeted politely, a subtle flush on her cheeks.

The girls in the class were set abuzz with murmurs and quiet giggling.

"Afternoon, ladies." He spoke to the class.

"Hi, Kiba!" They all said in unison.

Jon rolled his eyes, snickering quietly. "Well if isn't Prince Goldilocks." He murmured to himself before a sudden thought occurred to him. "Oh shit…."

"My, aren't you looking lovely today Professor." Kiba continued.

"Oh that's…" The woman, who had to be at least eight years his senior, fanned herself with the textbook she was holding. "...that's very kind of you. I'm just sorry the rooms not cleaner."

"It's no trouble at all." He replied politely. That perfect, photogenic expression permanently plastered on his flawless face. "I apologize for interrupting your class, but I was curious if I could see Jonathan for a moment."

Jon's worst fears were realized. Pretty boy here was the one Ria's had sent to "fetch" him.

Kiba approached the table where Jon was sitting. Offering a respectful bow. "Good afternoon, Jonathan Hyodo."

Jon nodded warily. "Kiba."

"I'm here on an errand for Rias Gremory. Would you mind coming with me?"

He stood up reluctantly. "Yeah, I figured that's what this was about."

"Oh my God, is Kiba about to walk out of here with Little Bear?" One of the girls whispered to Tomako.

"I'm not sure." She fiddled with her glasses. "But I know my Novel just got a lot better."

"Simmer down ladies." Jon insisted as they made their way to the exit. "I ain't planning on draining the man's pimp juice."

* * *

Kiba and Jon walked silently towards the Occult Research Club. The sun had begun to set and Jon could feel the air returning to his lungs, allowing him to remove his hood.

"So you mind explaining why Rias wants me to join her little club?" He asked, finally breaking the ice.

"All members of her Peerage join the club." Kiba explained in an agreeable tone.

"Peerage?"

He smiled. "You'll know soon enough."

Jon frowned in annoyance. "Uh huh…"

On the way, they passed by a group of students speaking in perfect english. Another question popped in his head.

"How come everyone in this city is suddenly speaking english?"

Kiba chuckled. "They're not. You're just hearing their words in your native tongue. It's an ability called The All Language."

"No kidding?"

He nodded. "In fact, you're probably speaking in perfect Japanese to them."

He couldn't help but wonder how he might be able to game this new ability. At the very least he was hoping for an A on his Language midterm.

They made their way towards an old building that looked completely out of place from the rest of campus. Jon had always wondered what the deal was with this one random gothic building in the middle of a bunch of modern structures. It didn't look old enough to be genuine, but rather it looked as if it was intentionally designed to stick out like a sore thumb.

"So the ORC is in that building?" Jon guessed.

"That building is the ORC." He explained, maintaining his unflappable demeanor.

"Hold on. The Social Club has like a hundred members or something, and even they don't have a whole building to themselves. You told me the ORC has four members not including me. So how the hell did you manage that?"

Kiba shrugged his shoulders daintely. "We have our ways, I suppose."

This was why Kiba rubbed Jon the wrong way. Whenever he talked he did so as if he were eight feet above you. Everything about him was so primm and proper. Even the way he walked had absolutely no slouch to it or any kind of relaxed gait. It was the kind of walking you could only achieve by practice. Like a Runway Model or a Noble Prince.

Jon was the kind of guy who liked to get his hands dirty. Work up a sweat building a fence or repairing an air conditioner. Where he was from, if you couldn't hunt, skin, and cook your own meat by the time you were a teenager you got held back a grade. Whereas if he had to guess, he'd bet Pretty Boy here had never so much as hammered a nail into a wall to hang a painting his entire life. No, a man like Kiba was content to sit there, look good, and let the whole world give him things.

They had a word for men like that where Jon was from. "Entitled."

"Have you been dying your hair?"

Jon cocked a brow at him. "No? Why?"

"It's darkened." He commented. "It used to be light brown but now it's darker."

He gave Kiba the weirdest look imaginable.

"I'm not complaining." Kiba continued. "It suits your complexion quite well."

He was about to make a smartass remark, but stopped himself.

Just take the compliment, Jon. No need to stir the pot just yet.

"You'd make a promising model." He continued. "If you shaved of course."

Then again…

Jon decided to bite his tongue for now. Simply following in silence as the two made their way inside the macabre little hamlet. Even the interior looked purposefully aged. The lighting fixtures were made to look like old timey gas lamps, and candelabras burned in every corner of the room. The furniture was all antiques and the rugs looked like something straight out of the 1850's.

Father Kyle's wife would have had a field day with this design. Jon thought to himself.

That idea instantly evaporated the moment he saw the artwork on the walls. Satanic practices, ritual sacrifice, pentagrams, goatheads. It was a regular who's who gallery of everything the Church considered blasphemy. He changed his mind, if either one of them ever stepped foot in this place it would have been with a dozen Hunters at their back.

They made their way upstairs into what he could only guess was the Chapter Room. Two antique sofas sat in the middle with a large hand carved oak desk directly behind it. On one of the sofas a white haired girl sat daintely, nibbling on a small chocolate bar.

"Hang on a minute...I think I know her." Jon quietly told Kiba.

"Oh? Koneko Toujou is a freshman and a valued member of the Research Club." He explained.

She continued to nibble on the chocolate bar, completely ignoring their presence. Finally she craned her head and acknowledged them both.

"Our newest member Jonathan here believes he knows you, Koneko." Kiba spoke politely, motioning to Jon. "Why not say hello?"

Jon frowned and shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't exactly looking to get friendly with these people. "I mean, I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time that's happened."

She rolled her eyes and continued to eat her candy bar, pretending he wasn't there.

"It's okay to be shy." Kiba insisted. "But you should try to make friends here. After all, we'll be working together for a good long while."

I'm going to kill him. Jon quietly seethed before the sound of running water caught his ear.

"Hang on, is that a shower?" He asked.

Kiba nodded. "They're right next door, adjacent to the dorms. Our parlor room is a little further down right passed the library. As is the open bar."

"Seriously. What the hell kinda crazy funding do yall have to be able to afford all this?"

Jon honed his senses, listening to the running water as it flowed down the drain.

"Your clothes are laid out for you, Ms. President." He heard a polite feminine voice announce.

"Thank you, Akeno." He heard next. Followed by the sounds of the water stopping and a shower curtain being drawn. No doubt about it, that was definitely Rias showering in their.

"It's not polite to spy." Koneko commented, still nibbling on her candybar.

Jon stared back at her in disbelief. Did she know what he was doing? And if so, how? He was suddenly a little more curious about this petite snowflake. She was incredibly pretty in that innocent little sister sort of way. But she also seemed quite guarded. Jon decided to turn on the charm and investigate a little.

"Hey, sorry about that cold entrance. I ain't usually at such a disadvantage with greetings. But you clearly look like you've got a pretty firm idea of how things work around here. Mind giving me the tour, Doll?"

"I'm not your 'Doll'." She stated without looking at him. "I'm also not into Catholic Hicks, so you may as well bother someone else with your inane prattling."

Was it just him? Or did the room suddenly get a few degrees colder? Maybe innocent little sister wasn't the right choice of words. Ice Queen was starting to sound more appropriate.

"Come on now, Koneko. Be nice to him." He heard that same feminine voice from the shower speak. "He's our newest member after all."

Jon's breath was taken away. The woman who spoke had a voice a few octaves higher than Rias with a slight vocal fry, but still possessed that same gentle motherly tone common among more mature girls. Yet seeing her standing in front of him, he wasn't really paying attention to that particular detail anymore.

For the second time since attending Kuoh, Jon was left speechless.

The woman approached, her friendly demeanor belying a mischievous intent. "Hi there." She greeted with a polite bow. "It's okay, I won't bite."

Woah…

"It's nice to finally meet you in person, Jonathan Hyodo. Rias has told us all so much about you."

He was still too stunned to say anything.

She gazed sweetly at him. "There's no need to be nervous. Everyone here is super friendly once you get to know them. I'm Akeno, the Vice President of the club."

"Jon." He greeted, finally remembering to close his mouth. "I'm usually not this quiet. I promise."

Because he normally wasn't standing in front of one of the most gorgeous Japanese women he'd ever seen. Sure she had a figure that could rival Rias's but that wasn't what really had his jaw damn near hitting the floor moments ago. Her complexion was flawless with two rose tinted eyes that set into her face like crafted gemstones and her hair fell in luscious cascades like a stream of onyx down past the small of her back. The fact he had never laid eyes on this girl before, or even knew her name until now, was a damn crime in his book.

"I'm sorry we kept you waiting." She continued. "The President and I have been quite busy and we haven't had a chance to shower all day.

The image that sprang to his mind at that moment was certainly less than wholesome. Rias may have been a condescending she-devil but the idea of those two bathing together was too tempting an idea not to indulge in for a moment.

"Ah good, you're here." Rias, who had just finished getting dressed, finally entered the Chapter Room. "Please have a seat so we can begin."

And just like that it was gone. Replaced with the same sour resentment he felt earlier.

"Fine, but begin what exactly?" He asked before having a seat on the couch Koneko was on. She immediately scooted an inch away. Akeno and Kiba both sat on the couch opposite of him, while Rias stood at the front to address them.

"Now that we've all gathered, I would like to welcome you as an official member of the Occult Research Club, Jonathan Hyodo."

"Thanks?" He replied reluctantly.

"But you should know, Jon…" She continued, her voice taking on a slightly more serious tone. "That the name of this place is just a front. It's meant to look like this is all just an elaborate hobby."

"So what is it really then?"

She grinned wickedly at him. "I'll be frank with you. I'm not the only Devil in this place."

Jon looked around at his new club members with a newfound perspective. "So I take it then...all of you are-"

"All of us." Akeno answered with a hint of deviant glee.

"Also…" Rias continued. "...that man you encountered the other day was something different. A Fallen Angel."

Jon felt his blood pump faster upon hearing those words. "The Church always taught us Fallen Angels and Devils were one and the same."

"That's what many believe, but nothing could be further from the truth." She explained. "Like us, Fallen Angels influence the lives of mortals for their own personal gain. However their method of going about it is far more...brutal."

"Those creatures you used to Hunt?" Akeno spoke up. "Vampires, werewolves, that sort of thing. They are all allies of the Fallen Angels."

Rias nodded. "They're the work of dark magic. Powerful spells using the blood of Devils, our blood, that the Fallen Angel's dabbled in."

This revelation shook him. All this time he assumed he was fighting minions of Satan, when in reality Satan had nothing to do with it. Or at least that's what Rias claimed. He was still wary of believing everything she told him.

"But what do they hope to gain? What's their purpose?" He asked, his curiosity finally overcoming his resentment.

"Fallen Angels encompass all angelic beings who have fallen out of favor with God." Rias explained. "Without God's grace their lives become finite. Eventually they will wither and die."

"All Fallen Angels seek the same thing." Akeno continued. "To prolong their lives and gain power. To this end, they constantly attack us and seek to gain supremacy over our realm. The realm you call Hell."

"We are constantly defending ourselves from both Heaven and the Fallen Ones." Rias picked up again. "But of the two groups, the Fallen Ones are far more vicious. They will go to any lengths to achieve power and prolong their life."

Jon sat in stunned silence. Taking it all in.

"Something the matter? You look a bit overwhelmed." Rias observed.

"What you're saying…" He finally spoke up. "...my Mentor used to tell me something similar. I can't believe he was actually right."

"Your ex-girlfriend." She continued. "As I'm sure you've gathered by now, she is also a Fallen Angel." She frowned softly. "But...Jon, there's more you should know."

Akeno frowned as well, as did Kiba surprisingly enough. Koneko seemed more or less disinterested by the entire conversation.

"What is it?" He asked nervously.

"The vampire who killed your family…" She spoke solemnly. "...the one your Mentor gave his life helping you defeat...she worked for her."

The world came crashing down around him for the second time.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you." She continued. "But that woman never had any feelings for you. Ever. Fallen Angel's can't feel love anymore. They can only lust for power. She's half the reason you've spent your whole life in hiding. It was all a carefully coordinated ploy to test your abilities and gather intel on your Sacred Gear. All so she could-"

"Stop!" Jon jumped out of his seat and backed away from them. "Just...just stop. I've heard enough."

She frowned, but otherwise complied with his request. Jon took a second to wrap his head around all this. If what Rias was saying was true, then the woman he dated, the woman he at one point thought was in love with, not only tried to kill him, but was also responsible for the deaths of his family and Mentor as well.

He now had a whole new reason for why he needed to find her again.

"Okay, so explain this to me then." He finally calmed down enough to ask. "Why is it no one on campus except you four can remember her?"

"That one should be obvious." Akeno spoke up. "Both Angels and Devils have the ability to erase our existence from human minds. How else do you think we've managed to keep ourselves hidden all these centuries?"

"Fair enough." His gaze fell down to the mark on his hand, the mark that had cursed him with this ordeal in the first place. "Maybe you can finally give me the answers I've been seeking all this time. What the hell is this thing? And why is it so damn important that I have Fallen Angels hunting me down?"

"You possess one of the Sacred Gear." Rias explained. "I told you this already in the library."

"Sacred Gear...you keep saying that word like I should know it."

"It's basically an intense and unique power that's found only in a rare few humans." Akeno spoke up. "In fact, the only ones I've known who've ever possessed one are historical figures, so you're kind of a big deal around here." She added in a slightly flirtatious manner.

"But where do they come from?" He asked.

"Truthfully, we're not sure." Akeno admitted. "They are as old as the Earth itself. How they came to be, and what their purpose is has been all but lost to time.

"This power can become so great that it can even rival the abilities of a creature of the Underworld." Rias continued. "Many minions of darkness crave this power, they're almost drawn to it. Those that aren't feel threatened by it, and seek to eliminate it however possible."

So there it was. The final truth behind all his struggles. He now knew exactly what this thing was. All this time he had despised it. Wanted it gone. Which was what made it so horribly ironic that it was probably now the best bet he had for exacting his revenge.

"So how do I use it?"

"You simply close your eyes and focus on the part of your body you feel is the strongest." Rias explained.

He cocked a brow at her. "That easy, huh?"

She nodded, taking a seat on her desk. "Try it. You'll never learn how to wield it without practice."

Jon closed his eyes and focused on the mark on his hand. He honed all his senses, all his energy. The dragon began to glow ever so slightly.

"Focus Jon, focus." Rias encouraged. A mischievous smirk as she suddenly shifted her legs purposefully to tease him with a glance of her underwear.

His eyes opened for just a moment, just long enough to see the black see through thong she was wearing. That was all it took to completely throw him off and lose it. The mark stopped glowing and he swore in frustration.

"Ain't exactly easy to focus with you doing that." He admitted, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Rias snickered at him, seemingly just pleased he was looking at all. "Look, I've never been able to use this power before. What makes you so certain I'm even strong enough?"

"I know you are." She assured, sitting up from her desk. "It's just a little difficult for you right now is all. You've never had to call upon it before, so it's sort of like moving a limb you never knew you had."

"But now that you're one of us, the transition into awakening your powers should be much smoother." Akeno noted.

Jon considered this for a moment, looking down at the mark again. "Okay...so I'm a Devil now. That's what you're saying."

Rias nodded. "You weren't just reborn as my servant, Jon. From this moment forward you are a Devil in service to House Gremory, my house. As the heir and daughter to Lord Marquis Gremory, your powers belong to me."

Her wings sprouted from her back, as did all of theirs.

"From this moment forward, Jon. You are my Hunter."

He gripped his hand into a fist, his Devil blood pumping through his veins. For whatever reason, he began to chuckle. A deep amused sound that resonated into an even more amused laughter. Everything about this was crazy. But then again, his whole life had been nothing but crazy up until this point.

"Okay." He nodded. "Fine. If that's the way this is gonna be, I can live with that." He spoke with finality. "You want me to be your Hunter? I'll play along." He glanced up at her, a steely look of determination in his eyes. "Just as long as you fulfill your end of the bargain and let me kill that bitch when the time comes."

At that moment, a pair of wings sprouted from his back.


	7. Chapter 7

**::Author's Note::**

**After rereading and editing this chapter I realized it ends a little blandly. So I've decided to go ahead and begin editing chapter eight as well, which will be posted soon. As promised, I would like to take a moment to go ahead and thank all of those who have been following the story.**

**Special thanks: Apple424, Cheeki of de breeki, Codeeatersage, DaggerFan, Emiya Muramasa, He Who Sleeps462, Hysper, Jaron Lloyd, Kozak 11, Lightingbrain12, Obliumm, Rivzed, Saruto808, Sh4d0wSHunT3rSBl4d3, TheJSmooth, Venidoll, anothokuro, dragonbane522, jjtaclarangel, raio10, reiseverance11, and sykartracer.**

**And of course, thank you to all those who have visited and viewed my work. I now present to you Chapter Seven. I hope you all continue to enjoy.**

**::End Note::**

Akeno lead Jon down the hallway towards his new room. As curious as he was about his accommodations he found it especially hard to focus on anything with the Asian beauty doing her damndest to make sure his eyes were glued to her backside as they walked.

"Isn't this exciting?" She asked in a chipper voice, a small bounce in her step. "You're one of us now."

That was one word for it. Another was overwhelming. The fact that he wasn't human anymore was something that was definitely going to take some getting used to.

"It's an adjustment." He admitted. "If you told me a year ago I'd sell my soul to a Devil so I could become one, I'd have probably cursed you out."

She nodded in understanding. "For what it's worth, I personally think you'll fit right in."

He smiled for her sake. In the short time he had gotten to know Akeno he had decided he liked her enough to at least be friendly. "Thanks."

"Now then, here we are." She presented, opening the door to what was to be his new room. It was surprisingly nice for its size. Then again, Rias did say she would make him comfortable.

"I see you already moved in all my stuff." He pointed out, spotting a couple of his personal affects hanging on the wall. Including his original poster for the movie True Grit.

"We went ahead and settled your lease as well. Everything is here. Err...that is except...well…"

He turned and narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "Except what?"

"Your clothes." She stated apologetically. "Sorry, but Rias's exact instructions were to have them all thrown out."

"You threw out all my clothes?!" He asked angrily. "What the hell happened to just my hoodie?!"

"I'm really sorry." She bowed. "But it's not the end of the world, I promise. She's already got an entirely new wardrobe picked out for you."

His color drained. "Rias picked out my wardrobe?" Jon turned towards the closet, a palpable sense of dread looming over him. Since he had no clue as to her tastes, there was no telling what awaited him inside. But if it was anything like what Kiba wore, it would probably be tailored and covered in buttons.

"Right. Let's get this over with." He walked over to the closet and opened the door. Immediately he could tell he was completely wrong about what to expect.

It was so much worse than what he had envisioned.

Jon pulled out a pair of black biker jeans and matching studded leather jacket. "She cannot be serious."

"I think it will look great on you."

"Maybe if I was planning on joining the Hells Angels!" He bemoaned. "Seriously, what is she thinking?"

"She probably has a specific look envisioned for you. The President has always been very particular about that sort of thing."

"What look is she going for? A Roadhouse bouncer?" He tossed the jacket and pants aside and looked through his shirts. They were all the same thing, black denim button ups. While searching through the closet further, he found the next atrocity. A pair of black leather cowboy boots with what appeared to be a Chinese dragon burned into each one. But that wasn't nearly the most galling aspect of these particular boots. He pulled one out and showed it to Akeno.

"They have spurs on them!"

She bit down on her finger, considering the boots and nodding in approval. "They sure do."

He couldn't believe this. Akeno was actually getting turned on by this getup. As he continued to fiddle with the spur his eye caught something along the sole of the boot. A small indentation that looked almost like a button.

"What's this?" He asked before reaching to press it.

"Oh, careful with that." She quickly snatched the boot away. "Yeah, I almost forgot to tell you. We added a little something to your new boots." She pressed the button on the side of the sole and a three inch blade sprung from the tip of the boot. "Be very careful when using it, this thing is coated in grimshade root, one of the deadliest poisons you can find in Hell." She then retracted the blade by hitting the button again.

"Okay...I'll admit that's actually pretty neat. But still, after the boots I half expected to find a hat in there as well."

She gave him an awkward smile. "Second drawer on the left."

His entire body slumped. Jon went back to the closet and pulled out, what was indeed, a matching cowboy hat complete with spaces to hold a line of ammo.

"So why is it that y'all get to dress like normal people and I have to dress like a freak?"

Akeno laughed in spite of his offput demeanor. "Oh come on, it's really not that bad. And besides, we have to dress normally because we need to blend in." She then added with an admiring tone. "But just about everyone in the Underworld knows who you are, Jon. I imagine Rias wants you to stand out."

He took a moment to look at it all. The new clothes, the new room.

The new guitar.

"Wait, what's this?" He asked, going over to the instrument.

"Oh yes." She brightened again. "Rias thought you might want a new one since your old one was…" She coughed awkwardly. "...well anyway, I hope you like it."

Jon picked up the instrument and inspected it thoroughly. A custom black Fender with an ivory finish. It was tuned perfectly and couldn't have cost less than four hundred thousand yen.

"Can I ask you something, Akeno?"

"Of course."

"Why is Rias so transfixed on me? She says it's not just about the mark but…"

Akeno shook her head insistently. "I can assure you that if power was all she cared about, there are easier ways for her to acquire it than through you."

Jon wasn't sure whether he should have felt relieved or insulted by that statement.

"Honestly, I can't say for sure why the President is the way she is." Akeno took a seat on the bed, crossing one leg over the other. "I've known her practically my whole life and even I still can't figure out why she does things the way she does half the time." She gave him a suggestive smirk. "But with you, I think I understand what her interest was."

He looked up from his guitar and stared at her curiously.

"You're a handsome man, Jon. But I suspect you know that already." She had the most playful little look in her eyes as she spoke. "It's not just your looks or your mark that makes you you. It's something much deeper than that. A sort of inner fire that's impossible to describe, but once you see it, it's also impossible to ignore. I believe that is what Rias initially noticed in you."

He didn't know what to say. No one had ever paid him a compliment quite like that before. Not even Yuma.

Akeno stood up and showed herself out, turning back to him at the door. "And honestly Jon, I'm starting to notice it too." She said before leaving, an alluring gaze in her eyes.

He smiled as she left, taking a moment to strum a few cords on his brand new Fender. This was a cage he was in, there was no getting around that. But damn if it wasn't a pretty one.

* * *

Jon didn't sleep much that night. Not only because his Devils blood made him restless in the dark. He had a lot on his mind. After all, the past forty eight hours of his life had been pretty crazy, even by his standards.

Rias seemed like she was at least trying to gain his trust. But then again, he thought the very same thing about Yuma and look where that got him. He wouldn't be so quick to just open up to her the way she wanted him to. Not that it would change much. If she desired something from him she would have it. He no longer had a say in the matter.

But after having some time to think about it, he decided he was fine with playing Servant for now. Or at the very least, he wasn't planning to revolt any time soon. Jon was used to following orders. After all, he'd spent most of his life under the heel of the Church. And at least this time around, his coworkers consisted primarily of attractive women.

Was he happy about this? No. Could he live with it? Perhaps. It's not like he had that many options. And there was something bizarrely relaxing about knowing the choice was out of his hands for good. For better or worse, his life belonged to Rias now.

At least until she pissed him off enough to stop caring about death.

But all of this was an afterthought compared to what weighed on his mind the most. It was strange. He wanted to hate Yuma with every fiber of his being. She had to die for what she did to him and to his family. Yet still he found himself missing her. Jon wished he could erase the image of her napping on his chest in the middle of the park and focus on the black winged monster she truly was. But he couldn't. As much as he wanted to say he no longer had feelings for her, to do so would ultimately just mean deluding himself. He loved her once. And he still sort of did. That didn't change facts though. She was the one responsible for taking everything away from him.

And he was determined to return the favor.

So long as Rias allowed him to exact his revenge, he didn't much care what happened to him beyond that. Even if it meant dressing in that ridiculous outfit. As Jon inspected himself in the mirror the following morning he couldn't help but be impressed. She'd done an amazing job with the fitting, though he wasn't sure he wanted to know how she got his measurements. The pants, especially, offered more ease and range of movement than he had anticipated. This clearly wasn't just a costume, it was designed with mobility and comfort in mind.

And as much as he hated to have to eat crow, he had to admit it didn't look half bad on him. Especially with his darker hair. That didn't stop him from feeling kinda silly in the thing. But if Jon was stuck with the "Cowboy from Hell" gimmick then he was at least determined to own it.

He was due for a shave, and this time around he decided to do something that matched the look. He worked on a fine grain while using his electric razor, and shaved away any trace of fuzz making everything smoother and sharper. The look had more bite to it, and once it matched up with his clothes he felt he had a better grasp of what Rias was trying to do.

He didn't look like any kind of Little Bear anymore. This new look indicated danger. Once he was done shaving he put on his pants, boots, and one of the black denim shirts, deciding to forego the jacket and hat for now and simply roll up his sleeves.

With the ensemble complete, Jon made his way to the Chapter Room to see what Rias had in store for him. She'd been incredibly vague up until now as to what exactly he would be doing for her. Which made him a little uneasy.

He hoped that today he'd finally be getting some answers.

* * *

Rias was at her desk that morning, listening to Akeno give her a report on the current state of affairs. Whatever those were supposed to be.

"So that's everything then?" Rias asked, sounding somewhat stressed out.

Akeno nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so. We've lost all contact with our Demon in Northern Ireland."

Rias sighed wearily. "Well that's just wonderful. We had just established influence in that-"

All conversation stopped the moment Jon caught their attention. Both girls considered him thoughtfully, both with the same looks on their faces.

"Well? What do you think?" Akeno asked the President.

"I think…" Rias bit down on the cap of her pen. "...that you do not give yourself nearly enough credit, Jonathan Hyodo."

She giggled coyly while blatantly checking him out.

"Akeno, leave us for now." Rias commanded, returning to her paperwork. "I would like to speak with my newest Servant alone."

She bowed respectfully. "Yes, Ms. President." Akeno sauntered away towards Jon, running her fingers along the arm of his jacket as she passed by.

Jon smirked at Akeno as she left before taking his place in front of the desk.

"Have a seat." Rias offered, still working on her paperwork.

At that moment a chair appeared behind Jon, seemingly from thin air. He cautiously sat down and relaxed, crossing his arms and glaring at her suspiciously.

"How are you settling in?" She asked, looking up from her papers and setting her pen down. He didn't respond. Rias stacked some more papers. "Okay, so we're not quite at small talk, yet. Understandable."

"I said I'd play along." Jon repeated. "That doesn't mean you and I are suddenly gonna become best buddies."

She sighed. "Fair enough. Though I hope in time you'll come to see me as an ally."

He chuckled humorlessly. "Seems a bit of a stretch. But sure."

She checked herself before letting his attitude affect hers. "At the very least, you can view me as a resource. I know you don't believe me but I do genuinely care about your well being, as well as your comfort. So if you have any questions or concerns feel free to voice them."

After a moment, his stiff gait finally relaxed. "Fine. Why don't we start with this then. Why exactly am I being forced to live here?"

"I like having my Servants close." She spoke frankly. "As you're my newest that goes doubly so in your case."

He nodded. "Fair enough. So let me ask, what is it exactly you would have me do?"

"Whatever I tell you to, naturally." She responded coyly.

"Yeah yeah, I got that." He replied, slightly frustrated. "I mean what specifically? What is my role here?"

"Your 'role' as you put it, is to assist me with my work. The work of my House."

"But what is it we do here?" He insisted, leaning forward in his seat. "No offense but yall have been leading me around like a hooded hawk. I'd feel a lot more comfortable if I had a better idea of what's expected of me."

She twirled the pen around in her hand, considering his question thoughtfully. "Tell me, Jon. What do you know about Devils?"

He frowned. "Less than I thought, more than I should."

She chuckled at his comment. "I imagine your former order had its own interpretation."

"Something to the effect of, Devils bad, Angels good, go to Church." He stated blithely. "Hell, I don't know. They barely ever told me anything. And to be perfectly honest, I never really bothered to ask. So long as they gave me a target and a location that was all I needed."

"That doesn't surprise me. I understand the Church is very protective of its secrets. As I'm sure you've gathered the truth of our existence is far more complicated than they would have you believe."

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I know everything." He countered.

She straightened her posture in her desk as she spoke. "Our legend has been recorded in dozens of texts over dozens of various religions around the world. And while most have been grossly mutated, for all the allegories and dogma, there is a granule of truth in just about each interpretation."

"I'm more interested in the whole truth."

"Where to begin, then?"

"I want to know everything." He spoke earnestly. "As much as you're willing to tell me."

Rias contemplated his request for a moment. "Hmm, it would take too long to tell you everything. Our people's history spans eons. Our realm has existed since the creation of the Earth itself."

He nodded in understanding, still undeterred. "The cliffnotes version then."

"Very well." Rias relaxed back in her seat, crossing one leg over the other. "Our realm is the counterbalance to that of Heaven. The negative force to the positive one. The Christian Bible, as I'm sure you know, teaches that our people came into being when Lucifer, the oldest and most powerful of God's Angels rebelled against his father and fell from Grace." She grinned at him. "All lies."

"Which part? That he rebelled? Or that he fell?"

She shook her head. "Neither. The truth is, Lucifer was never an angel to begin with. The name Lucifer is a title bestowed upon our rulers that stems from the original Lord of our realm. But he was born a Devil, same as me."

"Sort of like Caesar?"

She nodded in confirmation. "Our realms have coexisted for eons. Two forces forming a symbiotic relationship between the astral realm and the physical one. Heaven and Hell, with Earth in the middle. That is how it has always been."

"So what changed? "

She frowned slightly, recalling the history of her people as it was once told to her. "The Noble Houses of Hell had a falling out with the realm of Heaven after they began the practice of banishing Angels who did not adhere to God's teachings down to our realm. Angels are timeless, nigh immortal creatures." She explained. "And God could not bare to kill his own children. So instead, he stripped them of their grace and banished them to hell where they became mortal."

"I take it you lot were none too happy about that?" Jon surmised.

"Lucifer was furious." She continued. "He demanded the banishings cease but his words always fell on deaf ears. Heaven outright refused to acknowledge the sovereignty we held over our own realm."

Jon scowled upon hearing this. "I understand the feeling of being ignored. And being looked down upon."

"The problem only evolved from there. The Fallen Angels, stripped of their Grace, began to thirst for a new source of power. And so they began attacking us. Augmenting their abilities with Devil's blood and corrupting them into beings that craved magical power."

"They...drink Devil's blood?" He asked disbelievingly.

Rias nodded her head grimly. "The blood has twisted them into something neither of Heaven nor Hell. They walk a constant limbo between both realms. It is a hollow existence, devoid of any purpose beyond obtaining more power. Magical addicts, if you will."

And that's what Yuma was. A hollow creature incapable of truly loving another. It really stung to know that not one part of her truly cared for him. That the time they spent together was little more than dust in the wind.

"As more Angels fell the situation only got worse and worse. Within a century we had lost half of our domain. We eventually managed to recover some of it, but the losses were great."

"And Heaven seriously just kept ignoring you?"

"It got to the point where many of our realm accused Heaven of purposefully sending them down as an invasion force. Naturally, retaliation was imminent."

"So what happened?"

"I'm not sure who struck first, but the end result was what we called the Great War. A conflict took place between the three factions that lasted for unfathomable eons. All magical creatures save for a few scarce races living within the physical realm abandoned their planet to take sides in the conflict. By the wars end, the damage done to each side was catastrophic and the Earth had been destroyed and remade no less than eight times. We eventually reached a ceasefire of sorts, but tensions still run high to this day." Her somber demeanor lightened. "Earth represents the bridge between our three factions, with humanity now being the most wide spread sentient race on the planet. Whoever controls them, controls Earth, and gains the decisive advantage of the war. We intend to make sure that's us by any means necessary."

"That's why you care so much about the fate of human souls." Jon surmised.

"The Church represents Heaven's presence on Earth. Where once it held absolute dominance, its power has begun to wane. The Fallen Angels continue to expand their influence through Organized Crime and the Black Market, but their hands can only reach so far. We are in the optimal position to expand and achieve dominance."

"What resources do we have?"

She grinned at him. "Economic superiority. We have invested heavily in the planets global economy. More than half of the world's fortune 500 companies are all run by Devils. As the influence of the Church decays, our influence has begun to rise dramatically within the last century."

Jon looked genuinely stunned.

"Hard to believe, isn't it?"

He shook his head. "No. Not at all. If anything, this just explains a lot."

She laughed in agreement. "Regardless, we are on track to becoming the dominant force on planet Earth. But something to keep in mind, is that as we rise to power, each Noble House is also competing with each other for who will claim the top spots in the hierarchy. My House has maintained a legacy of being one of the strongest in the realm of Hell. And I intend to ensure that legacy remains intact." Rias smiled at him. "And that's where you come in, my Hunter. You will assist me in establishing a stronger presence on Earth, by forming pacts with humans and silencing anyone who gets in my way."

Jon took a moment to consider all of this. Finally he looked up at Rias and nodded in understanding. "Alright. I've got it."

She gave him an approving look. "Continue to prove yourself and you will have whatever you desire. Riches, servants..." She gave him a wicked grin. "...a throng of obedient sex slaves?"

Jon cocked a brow at her. "You have some weird ideas about what I'm into."

"I'm only teasing. But in all sincerity, so long as you serve me without question you can have whatever you want. No need to be shy about it."

"That's all fine and well." He stated bluntly, his expression darkening. "But you should know already there's only one thing I want right now."

"I do know." She assured. "And believe me Jon, I intend to let you have your revenge. Truth be told, I was going to send you after your Ex whether you wished it or not."

"You were?"

"She's become a pain in my side and must be eliminated." She sighed, gazing at him with concerned protective eyes. "But Jon, you're not ready for that yet. There's still so much you need to learn between now and then. All I ask is that, in the meantime, you try to be patient with me and trust that I will keep my word." She reached over her desk and placed a hand over his own. "Give it time. I swear to you I'll earn your trust."

Jon opened his mouth to speak but decided against it. Simply nodding his head in understanding.

She smiled at him again. "Excellent. In the meantime I have your first assignment ready."

He stiffened in his chair. "What am I doing?"

"I need you…" Rias bent over behind her desk and rose back up with a giant bundle of flyers that she placed in front of him. "...to deliver these to the post office."

Jon looked at the flyers and then at her, and then at the flyers again. "That's it?"

"Yes. Why?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, I mean…" He shrugged awkwardly. "I don't know, I just wasn't expecting something quite so…"

"Mundane?" She finished for him. "There will be plenty of time for killing Fallen Angels and making pacts with questionable humans later. For now, I need to get these mailed to my distributor."

* * *

The delivery didn't take long, but Jon questioned why he had to go in the middle of the day. The afternoon sun was beating down on him harder than usual, and though the forecast insisted it wasn't supposed to be warm today, it felt like Summer to him.

He hated how tired the light made him feel. Jon never had bad allergies growing up but now whenever he went out during the day it was like hay fever season was in full swing. His whole body felt like it was trying to fight off crap that wasn't there. So despite the fact that the bundle of flyers he delivered couldn't have weighed more than twenty pounds or so, Jon felt himself getting winded by the end of the trip.

"Ah, there you are." A chipper, eloquent voice spoke to him.

Jon returned to the ORC house after his delivery to find Kiba patiently waiting for him outside. Seemingly no less bothered by the days sun than any normal human would be. He coughed into his arm and took a seat on the steps to the house.

"You alright, my friend?" Kiba asked, taking a seat next to him.

"I'll be fine." He assured dismissively. "Let me ask you something, though. I see you come and go throughout campus all the time during the day. How is it you're not bothered by this?"

Kiba offered him a polite smile. "Having trouble adapting to the light, are we?"

Jon leaned his head back, resting it on the top step. "I feel so sluggish. It's like my body is constantly being drained."

"Well, technically it is. Light is poisonous to our kind. Even sunlight. Though the effects of the sun are quite diluted compared to holy weapons and light based magic. So you don't have to worry about it killing you. But it will cause you to feel sick."

"So why doesn't it seem to bug you at all?" He asked him in frustration.

"Because I've gotten used to it, I suppose."

Jon lurched up, an intrigued look on his face. "You can do that?"

"Certainly." Kiba replied with a curt nod. "Our weakness to light is not an immutable law as the Church would have you believe. Dark creatures can adapt to it, just as you can build up a tolerance to most poisons."

"Sort of like adapting to the extremities." Jon guessed.

"Exactly. Just as the Church teaches its Hunters how to fight better in the dark, you must allow your body to adjust to the light again. It will take time, but the process can be sped up by regular exposure and exercise."

Suddenly it became clear why Rias was making him run errands in the middle of the day.

"But it's good you're back." Kiba continued before standing up and offering him a hand. "We need to get you equipped."

Jon shot him a curious look.

"With your new weapons." He finished with a hint of glee.

* * *

Kiba lead Jon down into the cellar of the house. The entire underground room had been converted into an area where the Devil's of House Gremory could train in combat, including a firing range equipped with straw dummies and a boxing ring for sparring. In addition there were several punching bags hanging on the wall as well.

Along with the training area, the underground cellar also boasted a repository for alchemic supplies and a lab station with which to work with them. As well as a sacrificial altar for less wholesome projects, complete with a ritual krys.

"Feel free to come down and use the equipment however you see fit." Kiba offered. "My only suggestion is that you ask for help before handling anything you're unfamiliar with. Some of this stuff is...volatile." He warned.

Jon nodded in understanding, his attention more on the punching bags than anything. "Duly noted."

They both entered the repository, where Kiba guided Jon to a nearby table. Upon the table were two boxes of noticeably different sizes. The first box appeared to be a jewelry container and looked just big enough to hold a ring or small pendant. The second was much larger, about the size of a cigar box.

"Now then, first things first." Kiba offered him the smaller box. "As you are a Devil now, it is important you learn and understand the basics of magic."

Jon opened the box he was offered and gazed curiously at the contents inside. Two small metal rings crafted into the shapes of skulls rested within. Each skull had two blood red gems in the spots where the eye sockets were located.

"Well go ahead, try them on." Kiba encouraged.

He hesitantly placed the rings on one hand of each finger. The gems in the skulls immediately reacted, beginning to glow with mystical power.

"What are they made of?" He asked. "I can feel my hands vibrating."

"The rings themselves are nothing special. Just stainless steel bands." Kiba explained. "The gems, however, are a different matter. They give you better control over your power and help to perform magic."

"Okay, so like a magic wand only more stylish."

Kiba chuckled at his jest. "Essentially. Try placing your hands out in front of you as if you were holding a ball. Like this." He showed him as he explained.

"Okay?" Jon did as instructed. "Now what?"

"Now focus your energy like you did the other day. Only this time, picture it concentrating within the space between your hands."

Jon concentrated his energy as directed. Eventually he began to feel a warm glow emanating from the space between his palms, followed by a few pops and sparks going off like tiny little fireworks. Before he knew it, a small ball of fire formed and floated between his hands.

"Holy shit!" He nearly fell backwards in surprise, almost losing the fireball in the process.

"You've got it. Well done." Kiba congratulated.

"I can make fireballs?" He asked incredulously.

"With a bit of practice you'll be able to do a lot more than that."

Jon extinguished the flame and then inspected the mark on his left hand. "So how come I still can't draw out my Sacred Gear?"

"The first awakening of your power is always the most difficult." He explained assuredly. "It typically requires a little something extra. Sort of like uncorking a bottle of wine for the first time."

"What kinda something extra?"

"It honestly depends. I wouldn't worry over it too much. You'll have it in time."

Jon nodded, still looking slightly concerned.

"In the meantime." Kiba continued in an excited tone, motioning to the other box. "I have one more thing for you. And this I think you'll be particularly interested in.

Kiba opened the ornate black box and allowed him to peer inside. A giant grin immediately enveloped Jon's face.

Inside was a black Colt Single Action Repeater with an onyx grip. Grey decals formed intricate patterns along the barrel and cylinder. It was unlike any weapon he had ever seen before. Like a hunk of ebony crafted into a gun. Jon picked up the weapon and inspected it. Holding it in his hand sent a charge through his entire arm causing his rings and mark to instantly react to it.

"It's incredible." He marveled.

Kiba smirked with pride. "The metal alloy used in its manufacturing is a unique substance known as Black Brass. Lighter than normal gunmetal, yet three times as sturdy. It is obtainable only through a unique and complex alchemical process. In addition, the weapon was soaked in the blood of an Angel ritually sacrificed upon one of Hell's Crimson Altars. You'll find no weapon in Heaven or on Earth quite like this one."

"And the ammunition?" He asked, still marveling at the craftsmanship.

Kiba picked up one of the shiny bullets in the box and offered it to him. "The shells are depleted uranium with a sulfur core. A unique Black Powder mix acts as the propellant for the bullet. As for the casings well…open the cylinder."

Jon did as he asked. The moment the cylinder slid open the bullet in his hand flew from his palm and slid straight into one of the six chambers.

"Each casing holds a magically controlled magnetic charge that is opposite the charge in the cylinder. This weapon hungers for death and will deliver it with every pull of the trigger." He concluded. "To put it simply, you'll find no better weapon against both Heaven's forces and the Fallen Angels."

Beautiful, deadly, and without a shred of remorse. It was twistedly ironic, Jon felt, that his new revolver reminded him so much of the woman it was destined to kill.

* * *

The week went by with little to no trouble to speak of. Jon spent the majority of his time running odd errands for Rias, practicing his magic and with his new revolver, as well as pretending to be a normal College student. During this time he only spent about twelve hours sleeping.

Then again, that was all he needed. As Rias explained, Devils only slept to replenish their reserves of magical energy faster. They didn't need constant rest like humans did. He was fine with that. Sleep for him meant nightmares and the less he had of those, the better.

Jon was quickly falling in love with his new firearm. The gun had virtually no kickback despite the caliber of the round or muzzle velocity. This weapon was beyond lethal and he couldn't wait to try it on a live target.

It was during one of his practice sessions one evening that he was called up to Rias's office for what he assumed would be another errand.

"My first Pact?" He asked again.

"That is correct." Rias responded, wrapping a towel around her hair, having just stepped out of the shower. "Koneko was accidentally double booked tonight so I'm giving you the smaller job. It'll be good practice for you, and this way she's not pulling double duty."

"That would be rad." Koneko said completely dispassionately from the nearby couch.

"You'll be meeting with a client in Nagano. I expect you to do your best to fulfill your duties as a servant of House Gremory."

"Hold on. Nagano?" He sounded confused. "That's eighteen hours away by car. You planning on airdropping me to the client?"

She chuckled at him and shook her head. "No no, nothing like that." Rias adjusted the towel around her waist as it threatened to slip down and expose her breasts. "You'll be summoned there."

He was about to ask another question when she cut him off.

"Oh and one more thing. Be sure to get your coat and hat." She grinned at him wickedly. "I'll be watching as you work."


	8. Chapter 8

Akeno stood in the center of a glowing enchanted circle, her hands spread out to her sides, power coursing through her body.

"We call this a summoning circle." Rias explained. "Once a bond has been made with the client by their offering of blood placed upon one of our printed fliers, we warp to their location."

"And you're sure this thing is safe?" He asked skeptically.

"Positive. Now one more thing." She took his right hand and drew a strange mark on his palm. A glowing red symbol appeared where her fingers touched. "This is a seal." She explained. "It serves two purposes. One, it will act as proof to the client that you are in fact a member of House Gremory. And two, it will allow us to bring you back once the job is done."

He nodded. "Understood."

"When you get to the client's location hear his request and fulfill it to the best of your ability. Once that's done extract payment. Think you're ready for this?"

"As ready as a man turned Devil not even two weeks ago can be." He joked in a somewhat blithe manner, adjusting his hat.

She shook her head at him, chuckling lightly to herself. "Very cute. Now stand in the middle of the circle and you'll be off."

Jon stepped into the center of the circle and pulled out a fresh pack of cigarettes, popping one in his mouth before lighting it and waiting for Rias to work her magic.

"Have fun, my Servant." She teased him. "But not too much fun."

He rolled his eyes at her shortly before disappearing in a flash of red light. Jon shut his eyes and waited three seconds before the bloom that surrounded him finally disappeared. When he reopened his eyes he was standing in a dark closet surrounded by piles of dirty laundry.

"The fuck?"

He was beginning to wonder if something had gone wrong and he ended up off course, until a few moments later when a man with long hair who appeared to be in his late twenties slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

"You Mr. Mortisawa?" Jon asked, taking a puff of his smoke.

"Uhh...yeah?" He sounded incredibly guarded and appeared to be quite nervous.

"You summoned a Devil, didn't ya?" He adjusted the brim of his hat. "Well, here I am."

"Uh...oh! Oh, yeah!" He stuttered nervously. "Wow I was just...I wasn't sure that would actually work."

"I get that a lot." He lied, doing his best to pretend this wasn't his first rodeo. "You care to explain why I appeared in your closet?"

"Oh right, sorry. I tossed the pants with the flyer in here when I changed." He explained, opening the door all the way for him. "Come on in, I'll uh...go make some tea."

"That's mighty kind of ya." He stepped out of the closet and into Mortisawa's apartment. It wasn't much to speak of, a bedroom and a living room with an alcove for a kitchen. Along with rows of anime and manga lining the bookshelf in the living room, all in alphabetical order.

He sat on the floor next to a small table in the center of the room. It wasn't long before Mortisawa was back with the tea and two cups to serve it in. Once he was settled in his computer chair and had offered his guest both a cup of tea, as well as an ashtray for his cigarette, they began talking business.

"So you're really like, a legit Devil then?" He asked in amazement. "Like the real deal?"

Jon took a sip of his tea and tapped his smoke over the ashtray. "I appeared in your closet didn't I? Shouldn't that answer your question?"

"So what can you do then?" Mortisawa asked, leaning back in his computer chair. "What sort of Devil's tricks do you have?"

He thought for a moment how best to demonstrate his abilities. Since this guy was obviously new to this, Jon decided there would be no harm in keeping things simple this go around. He set his tea down and held out his hand with his palm facing upward. A small fireball appeared, hovering a few inches above his outstretched hand. Mortisawa watched on in amazement as he made the little flame dance around his fingertips with expert finesse.

"Something like this?"

The man clapped excitedly. "Wow! I can't believe I'm speaking to a real life Devil. I mean, my buddy assured me this would work. But I wasn't quite sure if I believed him."

Jon extinguished the flame and stubbed out the remainder of his cigarette in the ashtray. "I'm happy you're impressed and all, but I didn't exactly come here to do parlor tricks." He explained, adding a hint of aggravation to his voice to sell the bit. "Was there something you needed? Or are you just wasting my time, human?"

Mortisawa clammed up, swallowing back his fear as he began to tremble in his seat. Jon couldn't help but smirk a little. Even though he was still fairly new to this, he felt he had a pretty good handle on how he was supposed to carry himself. And as much as he didn't want to admit it, his Devil's heart approved of the man's cowering.

"Of course not, Sir." He insisted apologetically. "I would never waste your time. I'm just still amazed the flyer actually worked. I mean, my buddy says he's done this like six times. But I still didn't quite believe it."

"So what is it you need then?" Jon continued, wishing to hurry things along. "Why summon a Devil?"

The man frowned, his fingers nervously strumming the armrest of his computer chair. "I...I need you to look into something for me."

He peered at Mortisawa questioningly, folding his arms and nodding his head. "What exactly?"

"See, the thing is, I think my neighbor is in trouble." He admitted nervously, standing up from his chair and moving to the front door. "Here, let me show you." He opened the door and beckoned him to the outside railing of his apartment complex.

Jon stood up, still confused but nevertheless intrigued, and followed him outside. The complex Mortisawa lived in turned out to be smaller than he had anticipated. Merely two stories high with about eight units to its name. Mortisawa pointed across the street at a rather nice house with a stone wall enclosing it.

"That's where she and her parents live." He frowned. "Or rather...it was where they lived. She's all alone now."

He leaned against the railing and inspected the house. "Her parents died recently?"

Mortisawa nodded. "Sudden complications caused by severe anemia, is what the authorities said." There was a hint of sadness in his voice. "But I don't think that's what really happened."

"What do you think really happened?"

"I think they were murdered." He admitted fearfully. "I don't know what did it, but I'm positive it wasn't some random health condition. I used to see her parents out jogging all the time. They were in good health for their ages. The authorities have already closed the case but...I can't get it out of my head. I'm certain they were murdered, and I know if something isn't done then she will be too!"

The panic in his voice had Jon intrigued. He began to seriously suspect this was about more than just an act of neighborly kindness. "So let's say I believe you." He began, adjusting the brim of his hat. "How is it you know all this? And furthermore, why is it you care this much? Enough to summon me, anyway?"

Mortisawa became incredibly reserved. He began to fidget in place again nervously. "I...I think it would be better if I just showed you. But you have to swear you won't tell a soul about this. Okay?"

He shrugged apathetically. "Whatever you say."

The man showed him back inside where he sat down at his desk and opened his laptop. Jon leaned his hand on the desk, watching over Mortisawa's shoulder as he pulled something up on the screen.

"You seriously can't tell anyone about this." He insisted desperately. "There's no telling how much trouble I'd be in if anyone found out."

Jon scowled upon seeing what it was that Mortisawa was trying to show him. A window showing multiple camera feeds came up on screen. Cameras placed, if he had to guess, directly in that woman's house.

Rias warned him to curve his expectations for the kind of people they do business with. But he wasn't expecting his first client to be a stalker.

"I know what you're thinking, but I swear I didn't plant cameras in her house." The man assured in a hushed voice. "I just tapped into their home security feed."

"You can do that?" He asked, deciding to reserve all judgements and bite his tongue for the time being. As disgusted as he was, Jon was ultimately there to do a job.

"It's relatively simple once you obtain administrative clearance from the company that installed the system." He sounded somewhat proud of his work. Which made Jon all the more perturbed, not that he showed it. "I just hacked into their security network and logged on to her system."

"What is it you do for a living that makes you able to do shit like this?"

Mortisawa shrugged. "Deliver pizzas. Why?"

Jon sighed, pulling out another cigarette and lighting it with the tip of his finger. "So back to my original question. Why do you care?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mortisawa wheeled around on his chair, turning towards him. "You think I would hack into her cameras if I didn't love her? I've been watching her for years but I've never had the guts to tell her how I feel."

"So instead you spy on her." Jon pointed out, unable to help himself any longer. "Invade her privacy without her knowledge or consent. The hell kind of man are you?"

He scowled at Jon angrily. "Judge me all you want, you have no Earthly idea how it is to feel this way. Knowing the woman you love will never return your feelings."

Jon's body tensed up and his nostrils flared black smoke from his cigarette. His eyes began to glow blood red causing Mortisawa to sink back in his chair timidly. "Pick your next words very carefully, boy." He growled at him. "Otherwise they could be your last."

He nodded, again doing his best to swallow back his fear and look him in the eye again. "Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just…" His lip quivered. "...the thought of losing her. I'd have nothing left if she died. Please, you have to help me!"

Jon shook his head pitifully as he continued to smoke. This time no longer bothering with an ashtray. "So what makes you so sure she's in danger?" He asked, changing the subject.

Mortisawa turned back to his laptop, opening yet another browser window. This time, a bunch of files that looked to be recorded footage appeared on the screen. "A couple months before her parents died something strange started happening to the video feed. Several cameras would go out for a few minutes at a time. At first I thought it was just a technical problem, but then I started noticing this."

He showed Jon several recordings where the camera suddenly went to static. Each one had something in common. Wherever a camera went out, a hooded figure could be seen walking by.

"He's in every single shot." Mortisawa went on. "I see him walking down the street all the time. Occasionally he'll even stop and look into her house." His face paled as he shakily pulled up one last recording. "And then there's this."

The final recording was of the family eating dinner on the floor in the living room. He slowed the footage down to a fraction of normal speed. For a small second, that same hooded figure appeared behind the glass door to there home, looking at them with glowing yellow eyes, shortly before the footage cut to static.

"That's three frames. Less than a fraction of a second." He noted. "Tell me, what kind of person is capable of something like that?"

Jon's intrigue was immediately piqued. As low as his methods were for figuring it out, Mortisawa had every reason to worry for that young girl's life. He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket.

"I need to make a call."

"Huh?" Mortisawa gave him a worried look. "To who?"

"To my Boss." He explained. "The situation just got a lot more complicated."

* * *

Rias listened patiently over the phone whilst watching her new Servant pace back and forth outside the client's apartment. While the scene was decently amusing, this new bit of information concerned her. It seemed that no matter where Jon went he attracted dark creatures to him.

"And you're certain we're dealing with a supernatural entity?" She asked again.

"I'm certain." He replied through the receiver. "Two healthy adults drop dead almost simultaneously of an incredibly obscure medical condition? Not to mention the cameras going out."

"Very well." She responded in her usual clipped and professional voice. "You understand what to do."

"Strike a deal with Creeper Man. Kill the thing. Complete the Pact." He recited.

She smiled despite him not being able to see it. "Very good. Remember to do it how I taught you. Make an incision on your palm and then one on his, then you shake, stating out loud the terms of the deal."

"Yeah yeah, I remember." He insisted.

"Also, remember to explain to him exactly what will be expected once the pact is made. He'll become a Demon. A slave of Hell whose eternal soul belongs to us both in life and death."

"Got it." Jon replied flatly. "I just hope this is worth our time. He ain't exactly got much that makes him useful."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Rias replied thoughtfully. "As crass a man as he may be. His attention to detail and hacking ability could prove quite valuable to us."

"If you say so." He hung up the phone shortly after finishing his sentence.

Rias hung her office phone back up on her desk, a small frown on her features as she lost herself in her own thoughts.

"Is something wrong, Ms. President?" Akeno, who was standing by like always, asked her.

"Tell me, Akeno...am I a hypocrite?"

She looked at the President with curious and confused eyes. "Why would you think that of yourself?"

"I find our client's actions abhorrent." She explained. "And his demeanor to be needlessly creepy." Her expression worsened. "But am I not the same? Have I not been 'stalking' Jon for years now?"

Akeno frowned softly as she considered how best to reply. "I hardly think it's a fair comparison between you and a human, Ms. President. And besides, if anyone can afford to indulge in a bit of hypocrisy, it is you. You're a Pureblood Devil and the Heiress to one of the most prestigious Houses in the Underworld."

"Perhaps…" The gloom that enveloped her did not go away. "That doesn't change the fact I invaded his privacy for my own selfish reasons."

"Yet you also respected his modesty." Akeno retorted. "Since you began watching him I have never once seen you use the mirror while he was showering, or changing, or making love to a woman. You watched him during his daily life, yes, but you also gave him privacy when you felt privacy was due. I assure you that man has not done the same for that poor girl across the street."

Rias didn't reply. She still seemed concerned.

"But if that still doesn't put your mind at ease, then consider this." She continued undeterred. "Were you not also the one who saved Jon? More than once, you have been there to provide aid for him, even if he was not always aware of it." She smiled sweetly at her. "After all, it was you who gave his Mentor the tool he needed to slay Carlia."

Her mood seemed to brighten somewhat. "I suppose you have a point."

"And I'm sure if you could have intervened more directly, you would have. Yet this was the only way. You did not watch Jon out of some voyeuristic desire. Even if your mind would on occasion drift off into lust while doing so." Akeno assured her. "Ultimately your motivation was, and always has been, to protect him. You were not so much watching him as you were watching over him."

Rias finally seemed to come out of her funk and smile again. "Yes...yes I suppose you're right." She nodded appreciatively at Akeno. "Thank you, my Queen. You've put my mind at ease."

Akeno bowed her head respectfully. "It was no trouble, Ms. President." As she raised her head back up, a devious little grin sprouted over her lips. "And besides, if anyone here is guilty of being a creeper on our newest Pawn it's me."

* * *

Jon descended into the riverbed below, where he found the large sewer drain he was looking for. After doing some investigating, he had traced the creature he was hunting to this location. A water drain that lead to the sewers on the outskirts of town.

Finding out what and where the creature was proved to be surprisingly simple. Normally tracking monsters was not this easy. Then again, in the past, he had always done so as a human. He didn't have the resources that were now available to him. And looking back on it, he realized just how insanely difficult each Hunt was compared to how easy it felt now.

After striking the deal with Mortisawa, Jon made his way to the young lady's abode. She was indeed quite cute but nothing that Jon felt warranted such unhealthy obsession over. Then again, his taste in women was far less formal than she made herself out to be.

Getting into the house also proved to be much easier than he was used to. Normally, if he needed information from a bystander or victim it required hours of preparation, a disguise, and a false ID. Now he simply used the Glamor Spell that Akeno taught him and she instantly believed everything he said about himself. From how she explained it, the spell, once cast, made lesser beings perceive you as whatever it was you needed, or wanted, them to perceive you as. In this case, it was a Federal Agent investigating the possibility of a Serial Killer at work.

The ease with which the spell could be cast, and the relatively low amount of effort that was put into maintaining it alarmed Jon somewhat. If it was this easy for a Devil to disguise themselves as whatever they wanted, then what was to say they couldn't do it all the time? Could Rias, and Akeno, and the other members of the ORC look so incredibly stunning simply because they wished to? And if so, what did they actually look like? Did Yuma possess that ability as well while they were dating?

The more he thought about it, the more he decided he was better off not knowing either way. Some things were best left a mystery, and where the President of the ORC and his ex-girlfriend got their looks from was probably not something he needed to dwell on. It's not like he ever asked about the amount of makeup Yuma ever wore. He would simply compliment her appearance regardless. Magical or not, the girls (and Kiba too, he suspected) obviously cared about the appearances they had, and he was more than happy to form an opinion based off what he could see.

Because what he could see was nothing short of stunning.

After gathering some info from the clearly still grieving young woman, he did an inspection around the house and learned that some pictures had gone missing. Though there were no signs of an intruder on the cameras in their home. That didn't change the fact he could very distinctly smell blood in the air around where the photos once belonged. After doing a bit more investigating outside, whereupon he found claw marks and some unique footprints, Jon felt he had more than enough information to deduce what it was he was up against.

His target was a Leshy.

An incredibly rare creature found primarily outside of Northern Russia, the Leshy was the result of a genetic mutation in the standard Vampire gene. A horribly deformed creature that fed on the blood of families, it was said that Leshy could assume any form or in fact vanish from sight entirely. While most of the lore on the vampire subspecies was crap, the one granule of truth was their propensity to become attached to families. Specifically, the children of said families. Leshy were rejected by their brothers and sisters in undeath and thus had no Sire or Coven to call their own, resulting in their obsession with the families they felt they were denied. It was a rather sad fate. And Jon felt he might have pitied the poor freaks if they weren't such grotesque monstrosities who preyed on women and children alike.

But why was one in Japan? Only a couple Hunters he could think of besides himself had ever seen one of these things before, and certainly not in this region of the world. Then again, this whole week had been one giant reminder that, for all his training, he still knew almost nothing about the Supernatural. At this point, God himself could have descended from on High to strike him down and he probably wouldn't have even batted an eyelash.

As he made his way through the sewer, he considered the last time he fought a Leshy. How scared he was, how his heart thumped out of his chest as all his attention was focused on steadying the aim of his weapon. He was barely fifteen at the time, and even with Father Kyle there watching his every step he still considered turning back on more than one occasion. Leshy were terrifying to a human. Their ability to hide in plain sight, obscuring themselves from vision with a unique ability the Priests called Obfuscate, meant they could literally turn invisible right in front of you. That, combined with their immunity to most firearms and holy weapons made them a nightmare for normal Hunters.

Now? This whole thing just seemed hopelessly quaint. Jon could always see and hear just fine in the dark. But now he could even sense everything around him as well. His reflexes and agility had increased tenfold since the last time he hunted one of these things, to say nothing of his new arsenal of weapons and magical abilities he had access to. Or the fact he had taken on much tougher creatures since then. Which was why it came as no surprise when he found himself yawning through the muck and mildew as he continued searching for the creature.

Jon had been following the scent of blood on the air when a new smell caught his attention. The smell of burning candles. He must have been nearing the Leshy's altar. And also, no doubt, the creature itself.

He quickly picked up the trail, finally ending up in a small dugout hideaway within the pipes. Sure enough, a small altar dedicated to the woman the creature had been stalking lay within. The next part was fairly straightforward. He simply had to do what no sane Hunter would ever consider doing. Under normal circumstances the golden rule of hunting a Leshy was to never mess with its altar if you hoped to survive the hunt.

But seeing as he wanted to get this whole farce over with and go home, he didn't hesitate in knocking that crap over.

An inhuman shriek ran through the tunnels. Jon smirked and tossed the cigarette in his mouth onto the floor, stubbing it out with his boot as he turned around just in time to see a pale white figure appear in front of him moving at inhuman speeds. The beady little monstrosity snarled at him angrily but had stopped just shy of actually attacking. No doubt feeling the terrible aura Jon was giving off.

"Yeah, that's right. You realize it now, don't you?" He smirked sadistically at the creature. "You fucked up."

Jon snapped his fingers and the small burning altar erupted into a wall of flame behind him. His eyes began to glow that same crimson color as the creature reared back in horror. Fire, as it so happened, was the one thing all Leshy feared.

He managed to get a shot off with his new revolver before the creature bolted. He sprinted after it with inhuman speed. Chasing its trail down the winding labyrinth of pipes that made up the town's plumbing system. Though far weaker than he, the Leshy was still ridiculously fast, making the whole chase one giant pain in the ass. Jon would occasionally crack off a few rounds at the blur that appeared in front of him or try to wall it in with a ring of fire, but no matter what he did he couldn't seem to pin the slippery little bastard down.

The chase lead him to a large boiler room. As the only way out appeared to be a grate in the ceiling that had been rusted shut, he knew the Hunt was coming to an end. Jon slowly began searching around the large tanks for his prey. He had the beast cornered, and he wasn't about to let it slip through his fingers again.

Another inhuman shriek rang through the boiler room just as the creature lunged for Jon's throat. Within a fraction of a second he turned, pulled his fully loaded gun, and fired.

* * *

Rias watched the fight unfold in front of her. A playful smirk on her features as she observed her servant in his element. This was always her favorite part. Watching Jon methodically work his way through a fight like a well practiced dance. She had always seen a sort of innate artistry to the work of Hunters and felt Jon was something of a Master in his field. Hunting inhuman creatures, even if they were simple minions of Fallen Angels, required skill, cunning, and unbelievable amounts of courage for a human. Of course the stakes were much lower now that he was a Devil, yet the thrill of watching him fight never seemed to die down all the same.

"He's certainly adapted well to his new physiology." Akeno observed, clearly just as enticed by the battle in front of them as she was.

"I had no doubts that Jonathan would prove himself a quick study. Still, it's hard not to be amazed. He's good for a normal Devil. For a Human turned Devil? He's incredible."

"A shame we can't seem to get his Sacred Gear to awaken." Akeno commented.

"I'm not concerned with that. So long as he can hold his own against lesser creatures without it, we can worry about awakening his full power at our leisure."

"And if he should run into a Fallen Angel again?" Akeno asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Rias hadn't considered that. As skilled as Jon was he still lacked finesse when it came to using his magic. His aura was all over the place with every spell he cast, essentially broadcasting his location to any higher being within a twenty mile radius who might happen to be listening. Though he clearly had skill, it would seem that Jonathan Hyodo was still quite 'noisy' at his craft.

As the battle reached its conclusion, with Jon quickly incinerating the vile Leshy, Rias decided on what her next course of action should be if/when one of Raynare's harpies decided to show up.

* * *

Jon pushed up on the manhole covering and climbed his way out of the sewers, breathing in the fresh air as he wiped sweat from his brow. He was more or less satisfied with his performance, and all that remained was to inform Creeper Boy that he had fulfilled his end of the bargain.

It was time for the pervert to pay up.

He pulled out his last cigarette and lit up with the tip of his finger, taking in the gorgeously clear night sky as he slowly made his way back to his client's apartment. The moon was nearly full and shined with otherworldly beauty.

Purple otherworldly beauty. While he wasn't exactly a rocket scientist Jon was fairly certain the moon didn't normally do that. As Akeno explained to him, such bizarre phenomena were caused by magical distortion in the air, and were invisible to mortal beings.

A familiar sense of danger washed over him. Thrice now he had felt this exact same feeling but this time he was ready. He had anticipated that one of Yuma's crones would come after him, and slowly turned to meet the sound of approaching footsteps.

He wasn't going to go down so easily this time.

"Fine night for a walk, ain't it?" He casually offered the stranger with a polite nod of his hat.

"What a surprise." The young beauty walking towards him spoke in a professional, feminine voice. "You're certainly not how Raynare described." She was wearing a form fitting dark red skirt and blouse that reminded him of the sort of thing you would see a young hot secretary wearing to catch her boss's eye. Given the frankly ridiculous amount of cleavage she was sporting, that could very well have been the case for all he knew. And as ashamed as he may have been to admit it, the sheer size of her breasts were easily the first thing that caught his eye, followed by the ponytail of lapis hair that fell almost all the way down past her thighs.

"And what exactly did she describe?" He calmly asked, blowing a cloud of smoke into the air.

"She didn't tell me you were American." The woman calmly explained, that same disinterested look on her face that reminded him too much of a certain white haired girl he knew. "Of course, I suppose that makes sense, given her track record with men. She always did seem to have a thing for guys with that accent, not that I can understand for the life of me why."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." He replied with a cheeky grin as he slowly reached for the Revolver strapped to his side. "You strike me as the type of gal who doesn't put out for anyone lacking an offshore bank account."

She smirked back at him, her eyes giving away the anger his disrespect had warranted. "So I have my priorities in order. As far as I'm concerned, I'm here for one reason and one reason only."

"You're honest, at least." He spoke while pulling back the hammer of his weapon. "May I at least have a name before you try to skewer me, this time?

The Fallen Angel cocked her hip to the side with her hand resting upon it, before using her other hand to move the long bengs from her eyes. "My name is Kalawarner. Normally I don't share that with strangers but, as you've already guessed, I'm here to destroy you. So it really doesn't matter."

He chuckled flatly at her, tossing his cigarette away and turning to face her completely. "You Fallen Angels sure are like a broken record. This is the third time one of you has announced your intentions to kill me beforehand. Rather than just, you know, doing the deed."

"To be fair, we're used to the things we kill remaining dead. You however, must obviously have been a cockroach in a past life." Her smile faded completely and her demeanor became dark. Jon could sense the bloodlust dripping off of her as easily as he could see her nearly exposed nipples. "Why the Hell are you still alive? Raynare was supposed to take care of this a week ago." Two black wings sprouted from her back, and a yellow spear of light appeared in her right hand.

"So long as you live our plans are in jeopardy and I will not let you or House Gremory interfere!" She hurled the spear with inhuman speed, but Jon was easily able to avoid this time. His revolver left its holster faster than any mortal being's eye could detect and fired off three rounds in less than a fraction of a second. Kala responded by erecting a barrier in front of her, destroying the first two rounds. However, the third one shattered her shield, much to the Fallen Angel's surprise. She barely had time to dodge the next three shots, flash stepping at speeds even Jon's honed eyes had trouble following. He quickly dumped the spent casings and opened his coat to allow six more shots to enter the Revolver. He quickly slid the cylinder back in place, having just enough time to dodge another spear aimed directly at his chest before firing off four more shots to destroy the next two spears that came whizzing towards him. He followed it up with two shots back to back aimed directly at his opponent. This time, one of the rounds managed to nick her on the shoulder, cutting a sizable gash through her arm. The Angel winced in pain, clutching at the burning wound as it began to fester.

"So you picked up a new toy. My my, but you have been busy the past few days, haven't you?" Despite clearly being in pain, she was doing her best not to show it. "I suppose that just means I can no longer hold back."

"Bluster all you want, but this won't end like it did last time." He spoke confidently, emptying the spent casings once again and loading them with fresh ones. "I'll have you know, a new gun ain't the only thing I've acquired since then."

She charged his position only for a wall of fire to suddenly come bursting out of the ground, stopping her in her tracks. Six shots rocketed through the wall of flames, one of them finding their mark in her left leg. She swore in pain, clutching at the bleeding wound angrily.

"How do those sulfur rounds feel?" He taunted. "You know, I've been meaning to find a way to thank Raynare for sending her little welcoming party after me. And when I return your bullet ridden carcass to her, I'll have finally done that."

"You certainly are bold, I'll give you that." She smirked at him despite her wounds. "I think I'm beginning to see what Raynare saw in you. I'm a little turned on myself if I'm honest."

He chuckled in amusement. "Sorry, Darlin. But I've already got one egomaniacal woman in my life, and I don't rightly need a second."

"Just as well, it never would have worked between us." She replied, her demeanor turning serious again. "Confident as you may be now, you're still nothing compared to my kind. Here, let me prove it to you!"

She summoned forth another volley of spears. Jon, meanwhile, reloaded his weapon and took aim.

* * *

It had been going so well. Jon had the bitch on the ropes when things suddenly started to turn. His vision was beginning to blur, and his reflexes were dulling. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd consumed too much magical energy during the course of the fight.

Not only that, but he was now officially out of ammo. Having just used the last of his backup reserves.

"Such a shame, with that gun you were almost a threat." She continued, despite clearly being winded and wounded she lifted up into the air as another spear of light appeared in her hand, along with six more floating at her back. "Now that you're gunless, however, I fear this will be over a lot sooner than I had hoped. Not only do you possess the mark of the Red Dragon, but you now belong to House Gremory. Which gives me more than enough reason to completely destroy you here and now!"

Time seemed to slow around him as he braced for the attack. Would he really be able to survive this? Doubtful, those light spears would turn him into a Kebab before he had a chance to counterattack with his magic. Which meant without his Revolver his only chance of survival was for Rias to step in again.

No...wait...that wasn't his only option. And frankly, he would rather die than have to have her save his ass again. If he couldn't stand up on his own two feet in this new world of his, then he didn't have a hope in Hell of ever getting to Yuma. If Rias wasn't going to help, then he had only one option.

It had to happen now. The time for his power to awaken had come. Jon charged the Angel, focusing his energy into the palm of his left hand. The Dragon's mark began to glow as it always did.

Focus Jon, focus.

The Mark's color changed from red to green as he continued to dash towards his inevitable death. At the exact moment she hurled the barrage of spears at him, he felt it happen.

Focus!

The mark disappeared, replaced with a glowing orb of green energy. Jon clenched his fist as a metallic coating of red scaly armor enveloped his entire hand and forearm. His wings sprouted and he lurched into the air, bringing his fist, along with the massive wave of energy it was carrying smashing into the six spears in front of him, shattering them all to pieces and completely blasting the outfit she was wearing off her stunned body.

Jon landed back on the ground, gazing down at the gauntlet that had appeared on his left arm. Twenty four years he had carried the blood of this mark within him. It was nice to finally see it take tangible form.

"You...you awakened it?!" She growled at him, a mixture of terror and anger in her eyes. The now completely naked Angel began to hover backwards away from him, acting as if she hadn't even noticed she had been completely stripped. "Dammit, I've got better things to do than take on one of the Thirteen Longinus! I'll let someone else deal with this crap!"

Without so much as another word, she bolted. Flying away in a flash of black feathers faster than human eyes could detect. Jon continued to marvel at what he had just done, his brain having finally caught up to his actions.

"Did I...did I just punch her clothes off?"

* * *

"So you finally managed to draw it out." Rias smirked at him. "Congratulations, after all these years your power has finally awakened."

Jon, having completed his assignment and formed a Pact with his first client, returned to Rias with his newly awakened gauntlet still on his arm. Now that he had drawn it out, he could make it appear or disappear with ease.

"I did exactly as you instructed." He continued, before returning his arm back to normal.

Her smirk turned into a wicked grin. He had succeeded spectacularly on his first assignment, with little to no interference on her part. Truly, Rias could not have asked for a better Pawn.

"I'm so proud of you, Jon." Akeno, who was standing right beside him, beamed at his success. Kiba, who was sitting on the couch behind him, also seemed quite impressed. Koneko, as usual, seemed like she would rather be anywhere else.

"This does put us in a bit of an awkward position, however." Rias admitted, leaning against her desk and resting her head in her palm. "Not only do the Fallen Angels now know that you're still alive and have become one of us, but they also know your power has awakened, which will undoubtedly complicate things a bit."

His cheerful smile faded. "Wait...are you saying I was reckless?"

"Don't get me wrong, I still think you did exceptionally. But now that you've awakened the Sacred Gear don't get carried away in thinking you can take on anything by yourself. Making a gutsy move like that is one thing, but needlessly putting yourself in harms way is not only foolish, but disrespectful to me. Understood?"

His mood soured completely. "Understood. Thank you." Jon removed his hat and brushed back his hair. Decidedly biting his tongue. "If it's all the same to you, I'll retire for the night. Awakening my power and using it for the first time seems to have left me drained."

She nodded. "Very well. You're dismissed."

Jon left, heading in the direction of the showers. He had a lot to think about after his first assignment. And a bit of rest and refreshment would do his body good.

"Exaggeration much?" Akeno offered Rias playfully the moment Jon was out of the room. "He's still new around here. There's no need to be so hard on him when you're still trying to gain his trust."

Rias sighed in a melancholy tone. "All the same, I don't want him to overestimate himself."

'Plus.' She thought to herself, biting down on her thumb, deep in serious thought. 'I will not let any of those Angel rejects take my new favorite Servant away from me.'


	9. Chapter 9

**::Author's Note::**

**It's been a little over three days since I first posted chapter one, and early thirty followers and over two thousand views later the writing is on the wall. I can't thank you enough for your continued support of this writing, and so I have decided I want to finish editing and posting the final six chapters of Arc One by tomorrow night. Starting now with Chapter Nine. **

**As always, I thank all of you for commenting, reviewing, and sending me your private messages asking about the work. The feedback has been positive and the few criticisms I've been getting have been for the most part constructive. **

**One thing I wanted to mention, because I've gotten multiple responses about this now, is that yes I am well aware my story is following the original story fairly closely. But, if you'll bare with me, I promise my intention is not to simply regurgitate the same tale you've already heard a thousand times. If I was really trying to just write Highschool DxD again with an OC. I'd just copy paste the script from the anime and replace the name "Issei" with the name "Jon" and call it a day.**

**What I want to give you is a revisioning of the story. One that not only changes the medium but offers something new as well. I want to give you MORE, as opposed to less. That is more Story, more Lore, more Battles, more Violence, more Harem, more Lemon, and more Lime. I said at the beginning the whole reason this project has gotten as far as it has is because of the absolute blast I've had writing it. I take the quality of my work seriously, but at the same time, this story is supposed to be fun.**

**And that's really what I'm aiming for here. Fun. I want you all to have as much fun reading this work as I have had writing it.**

**So with that said, I know present to you all Chapter Nine.**

**::End Note::**

Jon woke up the morning after making his first successful Pact refreshed enough to feel up to a walk with his guitar. The morning sun wasn't as harsh as it was during the midday, allowing him to enjoy the crisp air and cool breeze without feeling completely like garbage.

He wasn't sure why he always insisted on coming back to the park. It hadn't exactly been a place to make happy memories as of late. Yet he could never quite get in the right headspace for his songwriting anywhere else.

Jon was in the process of finding a spot to work on his song in peace when his sharp ears caught what sounded like a young woman falling over and whining quietly in pain. He blew an exasperated breath through pursed lips, silently wondering if he would ever get a moment to himself again, before running over to the source of the noise.

"Owww, oh no it looks like I fell down again. I'm such a clutz." A young girl dressed in a Nun's outfit whined, her face flat on the ground and her ass high in the air.

Jon quickly put down his guitar and darted over to her, pulling her robes back down before anyone else happened to notice she was flashing the entire world her silky white panties. With her modesty successfully rescued, Jon quickly helped the poor girl back up onto her feet.

"You alright?" He asked in a compassionate voice.

"Oh...yeah. I'm okay, really." She assured in a mousey little voice. At that moment a gust of wind blew her abbot completely off her head, revealing cascades of golden locks and two big emerald eyes.

Beautiful. Was the first thought that came to mind. From the way she was looking back at him, and judging by the rosey color in her cheeks, she may have very well been thinking something similar.

Her abbot blew further down the path and threatened to fall into the creek before Jon successfully managed to snap himself out of it and go catch the darn thing for her.

Once she had her abbot back she offered him one of the most endearing little smiles he'd ever seen in his life. "That was very sweet of you."

"Oh please, don't sweat it, Sister." He replied with that same goofy grin he always used. "Try to watch your step though, you've really gotta look out for the...the uhh...huh."

He was trying to figure out what it was she tripped on, but found the ground around him to be quite flat. What on Earth made her fall? He wondered.

She continued to stare at him curiously. As if trying to peer past his eyes and see into his mind.

"Is...everything okay?" He asked, slightly put off.

"Umm, I'm sorry to ask you this but…" She blushed again, pressing her two pointer fingers together nervously. "I seem to be lost. I'm looking for the Church. Could you maybe help me find it?"

Well that was out of nowhere. If it had been any other situation he might have been a little wary of her. After all, the last blonde beauty who asked him to escort her somewhere turned out to be a bloodsucking vampire. But seeing as how it was the middle of the day, and she had the most adorable expression on her face at the moment, he decided to let this one play out.

"Sure, it's actually not that far from here."

She beamed at him. "Oh thank you so much!"

She reached down to pick up the large brown luggage bag next to her when Jon stepped in and picked it up for her.

"Oh...you're carrying my bag for me?" She asked, her face flushing in embarrassment.

"Well if I carried you I'm pretty sure people would stare." He replied, successfully turning her face from pink to red.

He really missed flirting with Nuns.

* * *

"So were you assigned to the Church here, Sister?" Jon asked as the two of them walked along one of the parks paths.

"Mhm, I was certain I'd never find it. I'm really happy I met someone nice like you to help me." Her cheeks always seemed to have a permanent blush on them when she looked at him. At least as far as he could tell. "I guess someone really is looking out for me."

A deathly chill ran down his spine. "Yeah...I suppose so." He chuckled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. Despite himself he couldn't help but wonder about the figure that might be lurking underneath those robes. Growing up in a Catholic Monastery there were several girls around his age who had taken vows. All of whom he had, at some point or another, tried to un-vow by sneaking them off to his room, all with varying degrees of success. This usually always ended with him being chased around the courtyard half naked by one of the Elder Sisters of the Monastery. Needless to say he had a thing for Nuns. Forbidden fruit was the sweetest after all. So whenever he was sure she wasn't looking, he found himself checking the young lady out. Trying to sneak a glance at what kind of curves might be hiding under those robes.

But the moment his eyes caught sight of her cross that idea instantly evaporated.

He turned his gaze sharply away, bile rising to the back of his throat. Just looking at the thing made him practically turn green. Jon wasn't normally someone who got nauseous easily, so to suddenly feel his stomach churn like this was completely out of character for him.

"Is something wrong?"

He shook his head assuredly. "No no, I'm fine. It's nothing."

What the heck was that? I can't even look at them anymore?

His train of thought was derailed by the sound of a small boy crying. She must have heard it too because her head turned in the direction of the noise. Sure enough a young boy was on the ground, sobbing and clutching his scraped up knee some yards away.

The young Nun quickly made her way over to him and knelt down to inspect the cut. "Big boys like you shouldn't cry over such a little scrape." She cooed gently, placing her hands over the cut. After a moment an aura of green light enveloped the space between her hands, as this happened Jon began to notice his mark was glowing. He watched in amazement as the kids knee began to slowly mend itself back together.

Where have I seen this before? He pondered.

"You see? There's no reason for you to cry at all." She assured him in that same overly kind tone. The boy stared down at his now fixed knee in bewilderment, same as how Jon was now staring at her. When she finally noticed him, she simply smiled. "All done now. Sorry." She offered, sticking her tongue out at him in a silly manner.

* * *

They continued to walk on in silence for awhile. Neither one really speaking about what had just happened.

"You must be surprised." She finally broke the tension.

"Not at all." He lied. "Though that is a neat little power you've got there."

"Thank you, I consider it to be a gift from the Lord." She smiled brightly at him. Though as soon as she said that her smile wavered as if a dark cloud had just popped into her mind. "Truly...it's wonderful."

He looked at her strangely, before he had a chance to ask more about it however, she immediately brightened again.

"Look, there it is!" She pointedly excitedly. Up on the tallest hill, surrounded by trees, sat the only Church in town. Far enough away from everything else to appear isolated.

"Thank goodness we found it." She said with relief.

Jon stared up at the large ornate building. A sudden pang of dread washed over him, twice as strong as his last encounter with a Fallen Angel. Every nerve in his body was screaming danger at him and it was all he could do not to grip for the Revolver in his jacket.

"You know, it's funny. I never actually see anyone up there." He mentioned, doing his damndest to get his mind off this sudden feeling.

"I was hoping I could thank you properly. Would it be alright if you came inside for a bit? I'd love to cook you something for your trouble."

There was no force in this world or the next that could ever get Jon to step foot in that building at that moment.

"Sorry, but I've got class." He apologized, giving her a sincere smile.

Not to mention I'm a denizen of the Underworld and I'm not entirely certain I wouldn't just combust the moment I step foot in that place.

Her face softened into a light frown. She was clearly disappointed and he felt guilty for shooting her down like that. But as usual, her sad eyes did not last long before she was smiling again. "I guess I should go too. It was sweet of you to help me find my way. My name is Asia Argento, thank you again for assisting me." The young girl offered sweetly.

"Jonathan Hyodo, he introduced. But please, call me Jon. You're very welcome, Asia."

"Jon..." She looked up at him curiously, as if considering him for the first time since they met. "Meeting you here today was truly a blessing. I hope we see each other again soon."

"You and me both." He replied without missing a beat.

"If you're ever in the neighborhood, I'd love if you could stop by and visit me. I don't really know anyone here and it would always be nice to have a friend."

He stared up at the church and then back at her puppy dog like face, feeling all kinds of guilty.

"Of course, I'd love to." He replied with a straight face. Dammit.

"Anyway, I won't keep you. I hope your day finds you well." She offered him one last obtusely innocent smile as she waved goodbye.

"You too." He waved to her as he turned and left.

As much as he hated to admit it, the chances of them actually becoming friends were slim. Where once they may have had something in common, now they were from two completely opposite worlds. It was really a shame they would probably never see each other again. Considering Asia was easily one of the cutest Nuns he had ever met in his life.

* * *

"You must never go near that Church again. Do you understand me?" Rias's voice was still as calm as ever. But it was clear she was perturbed by Jon's actions.

"It's not as if I was causing trouble." He argued. "I was just giving the poor girl directions."

Rias stood up from her desk and approached him. "Surely you must have at least felt your instincts kick in? I know you well enough to know you wouldn't have just blindly stumbled in there."

He shook his head profusely. "Of course not. I couldn't even look at the building without feeling like I might be attacked at any moment."

She nodded. "Good, that's how you should feel. The Church is enemy territory to us. Should you ever step foot in there it would cause problems for both us and the forces of Heaven as well. In there, your powers are significantly decreased. A Devil is always at their weakest when inside a place of God." Her eyes looked into his, they were filled with worry, as well as a hint of anger. "This isn't something you can fool around with, Jon. There are beings in there who could really hurt you."

He didn't reply, seemingly getting lost in thought.

"Jon?"

"Yeah, I'm listening." He snapped out of it.

She frowned at him. "Listen, if nothing else remember this. When a Devil is excorcised they aren't simply sent back to Hell, it's far worse than that. Their soul is utterly annihilated. Completely null and void. It's the end of the line for all Devils." She then stated with severe emphasis. "You can never come back from that. Do you understand?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I got it. Don't see what business it is of yours though."

Okay, his poor attitude had officially started to grate on her nerves. "Why must you insist on trying my patience like this? Have I not gone out of my way to make you comfortable? To compensate you appropriately for your work? Have I at any point been unreasonable or demanding of you?"

"That's not it." He insisted.

"Then what?" She asked in frustration. "What must I do to gain your trust?"

They stood their ground for a moment. Neither of them budging an inch. Finally, Rias sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get so worked up. I just want you to be careful. That's all." With that, she left the Chapter Room, heading towards the direction of the showers. Jon sank back into one of the couches. As he thought back to that smiling innocent face he met in the park, a sharp stab of guilt reached his Devil heart.

"Sorry Asia, guess we really can't be friends after all."

"There's no reason to be pissed off, you know? She's just worried about you, silly boy."

Jon about damn near launched out of his seat. He hated when the girls snuck up on him like that. And they seemed to do it constantly, simply because they knew they could.

"Akeno!" He griped at her as she sat up from behind the sofa where she had ambushed him. "Dammit all, why do you have to do that?"

She snickered devilishly into her hand. "Sorry, you just seemed so relaxed. I really couldn't help myself."

He glared at her disbelievingly. After a week of having gotten to know everyone, he was beginning to pick up on a few things. For one, how Akeno appeared to be a complete and utter sadist.

Rias returned to the room, clearly surprised to see her Queen Piece. "Akeno? I thought you had left already."

She turned and bowed politely to Rias. "Apologies Ms. President. We've just received a message from the Archduke."

"The Archduke? What does he want?"

Akeno's demeanor shifted. She no longer had that playful look in her eye. "It was urgent. Apparently a stray Devil has wandered into our city."

Rias's expression immediately glowered. She nodded to her Queen Piece in understanding. "Very well. Assemble the Peerage. We'll need to deal with this at once."

* * *

The portal that Akeno opened warped the entirety of the Occult Research Club to a large field on the outskirts of town. Off in the distance, an abandoned house loomed over them, emitting an unmistakably dark aura.

"So let me make sure I've got this right." Jon asked again. "These stray Devils used to be like us, but they went rogue and turned on their Master. Is that the whole of it?"

"Well...no not exactly." Kiba explained, as the party made their way towards the house he checked the sword he had strapped to his belt. "A stray Devil didn't just turn on their Master, they killed them."

"They...killed them?" He asked incredulously. "Hold on, how is that even possible?"

"With poison." Rias stated bitterly. "And a lot of nerve."

"Not all Devil Families are as Kind as Rias's is." Akeno explained further. "Some are rather cruel to their servants. Not everyone can handle the pressure that comes with being a Highborn's Servant. Some crack under the strain and do something drastic."

"It's still no excuse." Rias growled angrily. "There are ways besides murder and betrayal to handle an abusive Master."

"According to our reports, this particular stray just recently moved into town. Since then she's made this house her nest. Tricking humans into her den and then eating them." Kiba remarked.

"Lovely... " Jon commented, adjusting the brim of his hat. "Just once I'd like to meet a creature that wants to sing me a song or bake a cake, or something like that."

Akeno giggled at his little joke. "Tonight's job shouldn't be too hard. Just find the stray and kill it."

"Sounds pretty straightforward." Jon popped his neck and checked to make sure his gun was loaded.

"I want you to hang back for this one." Rias commanded.

"Huh?" He looked at her disbelievingly. "Why?"

"No offense, Jon. But you're not quite ready for a foe of this magnitude yet." Kiba spoke up, undoubtedly saying what was on Rias's mind. "This isn't going to be anything like any other Hunt you've been on. These creatures are pure evil, having completely given in to their monstrous nature and severed their connection to their own brood." He shook his head in pity at the thought. "Killing your Master places a curse upon your soul. It always ends in ugliness."

"This first encounter with a stray will be a good learning opportunity for you." Rias explained. "I want you to hang back and watch how the others fight. Only jump in if you feel it is absolutely necessary to protect yourself. Okay?"

He wanted to protest, but after having already gotten himself in hot water once today, Jon decided not to push his luck. If she wanted him to sit this one out, then he would simply have to grin and bare it. As the group made their way inside, he could feel that familiar dread looming over him, warning him of the danger that lurked in this long forgotten place.

"Jon." Rias spoke up.

Upon hearing his name he stopped staring at the nearby shadows and looked at her. "Yes?"

"Are you at all familiar with the game of chess?"

He cocked a brow at the President. "Vaguely. Can't say I'm any good though."

"A complete Peerage of Devils is composed of the same number of pieces that make up one side of a chess board." She explained. "As the Master I am the King. My Empress is the Queen. My Cavalier, the Knight. My Tank, the Rook. My Clergyman, the Bishop." She smirked at him. "And my Hunter, the Pawn. A member of the Underworld's nobility possess the power to grant these characteristics to each of their servants."

"Sounds pretty interesting." He admitted.

"We have a special name for them." She continued. "We call them our Evil Pieces."

"So why tell me this?"

Rias and the other members of the Peerage began to fan out, staying alert for any signs of trouble.

"I told you already, I want you to watch and learn. Pay close attention to how my pieces do battle. You can learn a lot from them."

At that moment, a chill hung in the air. Jon could hear the sounds of...something...moving around in the dark.

"It's here." Koneko spoke up.

From the corner of the room, Jon noticed a figure shift. His hand instinctively reached for his revolver.

"Now then...what could that foul fecal smell be?" A woman's voice, dripping with venom, cut through the air. "But something smells quite delicious as well." A woman appeared from behind a column in the corner of the room. Seemingly hovering about nine feet in the air. She was starch naked and quite beautiful to look at from the waste up. Her most prominent feature being the healthy bust on her chest.

The creature glanced over directly at Jon, a mischievous and overtly sultry look on her face. "Is it you, handsome boy? Are you the source of that delicious scent?" She licked her ruby lips greedily. "I wonder how sweet you taste. Perhaps you would want to taste me as well." She offered, cupping her breasts in her hands for him to get a better view.

"Viser, you wretch." Rias sneered up at the woman. "You have betrayed your Master and run away to fulfill the mad perverted urges that consume you. In the name of the great Marquis of Gremory, be gone from this place or meet your death!"

The stray named Viser pried her eyes away from Jon to scowl down at the sharp tongued redhead. "Oh just give it a rest you little slut. You're just jealous because your little boytoy over there wants to ravage these luscious breasts." She fondled herself, making erotic little noises as her tongue slithered down to lick each nipple. Four sharp fangs protruded from her mouth as her voice became more and more demonic. "How about it little boy? You and I could have a lot of fun together. I could drain you dry in three minutes flat while your shaft is buried between these. It would be the best titjob you ever had in your life. You'd be broken for anyone but me."

"This is your final warning." Rias barked. "Leave this city now or you will be destroyed."

"So this is a stray Devil." Jon commented, doing his best not to crack up. The woman had obviously gone completely mad. "She behaves like a Softcore Pornstar. Actually I take it back, I feel like even they are more reserved than you, Hunny."

"If that's how you feel, then let me show you what I'm made of."

Viser lurched forward into the light, whereupon Jon's blood ran cold. The creature wasn't floating, she was standing on an amorphous pair of massive legs connected to a grotesque fleshy abdomen with a snake tail on the end. The volvous opening below her genitals had a misshapen eye in the center, and each leg had talons coated in blood red polish.

"See what I mean?" Kiba commented. "When I told you it ends in ugliness, I wasn't joking."

As her face became more and more heated with her ravenous grotesque desires, she began to fondle her breasts faster and faster. Without warning her nipples stretched out into two erect cylinders with a magic circle appearing over each. With one final orgasmic scream, a barrage of yellow plasma shot out of her breasts on a direct course for Jon. He quickly dodged out of the way just in time for the bolts to go whizzing past his head and hitting the concrete wall behind him. The stone began to melt away like butter.

"Okay, that's just wrong in every sense of the word." He said, picking up his hat and dusting himself off.

"Try to be more careful." Rias chastised. "Kiba!"

"On it!" Kiba gripped the handle of the sword at his side before seemingly vanishing into thin air.

"What the-he just disappeared!" Jon pointed out in amazement.

"No he didn't." Rias shook her head, helping Jon back up off the ground. "He's just moving incredibly fast. Kiba is my Knight, and his gifted trait is speed. In addition, that sword of his can cut through almost anything."

The yellow blur that was kiba cleanly sliced through both the creatures legs as if they were barely even there. Viser let loose a blood curdling scream. It was impossible to tell if she was in pain, or turned on. Either way, the rage in her expression made it clear she was about to retaliate.

"Koneko, watch out!" Kiba shouted.

The Devil charged at her on a pair of hind legs they hadn't noticed. Roaring in fury as its vulvus abdomen opened up to reveal rows of massive sharp teeth. The jaws closed in on Koneko much to Jon's dismay. Just as he was about to intervene, Rias stopped him.

"It's alright." She assured.

Suddenly, the jaws opened up. Within the gullet of the creature Koneko held the two massive rows of teeth open, seeming none the worse for wear but missing, however, a substantial amount of clothes.

There was murder in her eyes.

"Koneko is my Rook." Rias explained. "And her trait is simple, she has unparalleled strength among my Servants. That won't even put a dent in her."

"This was my favorite shirt." Koneko stated flatly, the subtlest hint of aggravation in her voice. With seemingly zero effort she hoisted Viser's entire frame over her head and slammed her down onto the concrete floor, shattering the abdomen's teeth in the process.

Mental note to self. Jon thought. Stop pushing her buttons for fun.

"Akeno?" Rias then called next.

"Oh is it my turn?" She asked in her usual, chipper voice. "How exciting! I do so love this game." She giggled playfully as she approached the downed creature.

Without warning, one of the disembodied legs began to move on its own and lunged towards Rias with its sharp talons.

"Look out!" Jon shouted, pushing himself in front of Rias and knocking her over, before summoning his Sacred Gear just in time to smash the arm back. He then charged his fire magic into the gauntlet, using its boost ability to greatly increase the spells power. A small inferno formed in his hand that ignited into a deadly stream of flames, completely incinerating both appendages. Rias watched this entire spectacle in total shock, not expecting him to do that.

She frowned up at him upon realizing it was over. "Thanks for that, Jon. But remember what I said about being careful."

"Sorry, my body just kind of moved on its own." He coughed awkwardly, turning his head away to stop himself from staring at her exposed panties. Rias stood back up, seemingly no worse for wear.

"Akeno, finish her off please." She commanded.

"I've got news for you." Akeno's voice took on a dark, sadistic tone. "You're not the only one who likes to play rough around here." Her hands began to spark with electrical energy. "So lets you and I have some fun, shall we?"

"Akeno is my Queen." Rias explained. "Her attributes are a perfect combination of all my other pieces. She's simply unbeatable."

The electrical energy danced between her hands in seemingly impossible voltages. The creature gazed up at her with defiant eyes. "Tough girl." She taunted. "Not quite ready to give up yet? Goody!" She cheered gleefully, raising her hands up into the air. "I get to play some more!"

Akeno blasted the creature with a seemingly endless barrage of magical lightning. The Stray Devil howled in ungodly pain as its body convulsed with the current.

"Her weapon of choice is a dark magical lightning that she wields with near perfect precision." Rias continued, adding with a chiding grin. "And that's not all…"

Akeno's face was becoming visibly more and more heated with each blast. "This violence...it's making me so hot." She moaned in suggestive tones.

"...she's really into S&M." Rias finished.

"Is this as good for you as it is for me?! Ahhhh!" Akeno shouted in ecstasy as she blasted Viser with one more powerful bolt of lightning.

"She...gets off on this?" Jon asked, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt.

"Akeno, I think she's had enough." Rias chastised softly.

Her spell dissipated and the creature fell in a smoldering heap onto the floor. "Awww, over already?" She pouted jokingly. "And here I was just beginning to enjoy myself." Turning around it was clear by how flushed her face appeared she had either just came from that, or was very close to.

Either way, Jon was starting to have second thoughts about trying to work his magic on her. Seeing this side of Akeno, he realized if he got her too excited, he'd probably end up being the one chained to a wall for a change. And seeing her in action made it clear she was a far bigger sadist than he was.

He'd be lucky if he survived the encounter.

Rias approached the barely conscious heap of flesh that remained on the ground. "Now then, any last words?" She offered.

Viser turned her pained eyes up at the Crimson Haired Beauty, a bitter snarl on her face.

"Got to Hell…" She painfully choked out.

Rias chuckled, shaking her head dismissively. "Come on, you can do better than that." She spread her arms to either side of her body, a magical circle appearing in front of her.

"Game over." She stated with punition. A bolt of red and black lightning flashed from the magic circle and completely disintegrated the crumbling heap in front of her in a blast that nearly knocked Jon completely off his feet.

It was incredible to behold. In all his life he had never seen such awesome displays of power. For all his talk of being so much stronger than he was before, Jon knew he was nowhere near the levels they were at. Not yet at least.

Rias turned her attention back to the others, her smile at last returning. "We're done here. Let's go home everyone."

"Sounds good." They all stated in unison. Everyone except for Jon, of course. Who was still having a hard time getting over what he just saw.

As they began walking back towards the exit, he couldn't help but feel...slightly nervous. These were powerful Devils he was united with. Far more powerful than he was, even with his Sacred Gear.

And seeing that curse in action, he knew that even if he wanted it, he could never be free of Rias's control. Not without becoming an even bigger monster than he already was.

* * *

That night, Jon returned to the park. Taking a spot near the fountain with a melancholy sigh. He had a lot weighing on his mind, and it felt good to finally have a moment to himself. After taking a moment to tune his guitar, he stared transfixed at the fountain. Such mixed feelings he got from that blasted thing. One the one hand, it was the sight of one of the worst moments of his life.

Yet on the other hand, he met an incredibly pretty blonde there today. Who'd been on his mind for the better part of the night. Something about her felt so familiar. He just wished she didn't have to be associated with the Church. Rias would probably get pissed if he kept hanging out with her. And the last thing he wanted to do was put her in danger by tempting the President's wrath.

Still, it was nice to have a memory in the park not associated with Yuma.

"Well...nothing for it." After he finished tuning his guitar, Jon grabbed his pick and began to play an acoustic version of one of his favorite metal songs. Over the years, he'd since branched out from country to other types of music, and the song he was singing that particular night meshed well with the thoughts in his mind.

"I don't wanna die alone."

"I don't wanna live forsaken."

"I refuse to let this go."

"Because my soul is breaking."

"I don't wanna let you know."

"That my heart is just so jaded."

"I refuse to let it show."

"I refuse to let it go."

As he broke into the chorus, his voice took on a more melodic tone. Losing the severe twang he was accustomed to speaking with.

"Wake me up! When this is over!"

"I'm tired of living life like it's a dream."

"Please wake me up! When it's all over!"

"I'm tired of living right here in between."

"I refuse."

Jon played through the entirety of the song before setting his guitar aside and popping a smoke into his mouth. He lit up and took a long drag before letting out another sigh.

The sound of rustling in the bushes, followed by a small gasp caught his attention. Jon jumped up from his seat and gripped his revolver.

"Whoever that is sneaking around in the dark, best come on out right now." He warned.

A large set of emerald eyes peeked up out of the bushes and a set of rosy cheeks blushed at him. The small timid nun who'd been hiding poked her head up and frowned in embarrassment.

"Asia?" Jon asked before finally releasing the grip on his weapon.

The blonde beauty slowly made her way out of the bushes, frowning in both shame and embarrassment as she did so. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad?"

She fidgeted nervously. "For listening to you play. I was on my way to the store to grab some supplies for the Church and thought I'd cut through the park when I heard you. It was really pretty...even if it was kind of sad."

After a moment he breathed a sigh and smiled at her. "It's alright. I really don't mind." Jon patted the spot next to him. "Wanna sit? I'll play something else for you if you'd like."

Asia beamed excitedly. "Okay!"

She eagerly took a seat next to him at which point Jon began playing whatever came to his head first. Before he knew it, an hour had gone by. All while Asia sat quietly listening to him play, appearing overjoyed simply to be there.

"Wow…" She blushed, turning her face away meekly. "...you really are a talented musician, Jon."

"Ah hell, I ain't all that." He replied with an amused grin. "I've just had a lot of time to practice is all."

She shook her head. "No no, I mean it. You really do have a gift." Asia turned her gaze to the ground. "Honestly...I'd come listen to you play every night if I could."

Jon frowned at her. How was it that one person could look so cheerful and so sad at the same time? Beneath that smile was a deep set pain he empathized with more than anyone. The pain of loneliness and isolation.

Rias could bitch at him all she wanted, there was no way in hell he could keep alienating this poor girl.

"Listen, I can't guarantee I'll be here every night, but if you happen to stop by around this time and I'm here, you can listen to me play as much as you want."

That made her smile. Asia twiddled her thumbs in her lap nervously as her face heated up again. "You really are a kind man…"

He shrugged. "I don't know about all that. You just seem like a sweet girl is all."

She shut her eyes and shook her head. "No. You really are kind...you've always been."

Jon gave her a weird look. "Always been?"

Her face lit up and her eyes widened. "I mean...you've been nice to me all day!" She quickly clarified. "Since the moment we met." She laughed nervously.

He nodded, though Jon still looked suspicious. What was this girls deal?

She sighed. "Listen...I need to go but…" Asia looked as if she wanted to say something but changed her mind at the last minute. "...thank you."

With that, the blonde nun stood up and left. Jon felt like he should be more suspicious than he was. Given everything that had happened to him recently, the fact that yet another random girl was giving him attention seemed to be cause for alarm.

And yet something about her put him at ease. Whatever this strange feeling was, he wasn't quite ready to let it go yet.

He just hoped that she never found out about the kind of monster he really was.


	10. Chapter 10

**::Author's Note::**

**Since posting Chapter Nine, I've received two Critiques I wanted to address. I want to thank Aeoniann and Lightning96 for pointing these out.**

**Firstly, I'd like to say that I by no means consider myself to be a perfect writer. I take pride in the quality of my work, but there is always room for improvement. Which is why I always take reader feedback into consideration. Bare with me for a moment, I'm gonna try to do this in as few words as possible.**

**First of all, the reason why Jon is struggling now that he's become a Devil is because he is essentially starting over. I think Dohnaseek put it best when he stated that while Jon was an All Star in the Minor Leagues, this is the Pros now. He's adjusting to his power, as well as the new abilities of his opponents. If it seems like he's making Rookie mistakes, that's because whether he likes it or not, he IS a Rookie again.**

**The next issue I wanted to take into consideration was Rias's treatment of Jon and her stalker like behavior. As well as how Jon has dealt with it. **

**My depiction of Rias is much darker initially than in Canon. Her possessive personality and sense of personal entitlement are all deliberately written. At least for now, this is who Rias is. A dark, possessive, Devil who wants to own Jon.**

**As for why Jon seems so accepting of his fate, he sees this as a means to an end. Had Rias not promised him revenge, he would not have been so quick to accept his new position. But the fact that he has a chance to get his vengeance was enough for him to play ball for at least the time being. **

**Jon's psyche is not in a good place right now. He's always had a very bleak outlook on his life, and Raynare doing what she did only made it about a hundred times worse. So long as Rias continues to fulfill her end of the bargain, he doesn't really care what happens to himself.**

**I'm hoping that I've cleared up some confusion and that this next chapter will provide more insight into Jon's thoughts on Rias and where they currently stand. So with all that out of the way, I know present to you Chapter Ten.**

**::End Note::**

"So let me get this straight." Jon continued, staring at the man in bewilderment. "You summon a Devil, a creature of the Underworld, not to kill anyone or give you special powers, but to act as your personal breakdown service?"

He pointed to the car whose front end had ended up in a ditch. While the car seemed for the most part intact, it definitely wasn't going anywhere without a tow.

"Look man, I don't have insurance." The client he was speaking to explained nervously. "And besides, if my Girlfriend finds out I drove her car into a creekbed she'll mount my testicles onto her wall."

"You realize this is gonna be steep right? Summoning a Devil doesn't come without cost."

"Dude, whatever price I pay. It can't be any worse than what the tow company charges around here."

After a moment of thought he shrugged. "Ah what the hell. Let's do it."

Jon positioned himself behind the car and grabbed hold of the rear bumper before pulling with all his might. Slowly the car began to rise up out of the ditch until it was back on the road.

"Damn man! You're almost as strong as Koneko!" The Client declared in amazement.

"Looks like your left headlight is out, but beyond that I don't see any real damage." Jon observed.

"That's alright. I'll just tell her some jackass hit me in the parking lot." He assured. "So what do I owe you?"

"Let me see your hand." He instructed.

The man nodded, holding out his right hand for him. Jon retrieved a pocket knife from his jacket and cut the man's palm open.

"Augh! That things disinfected right?"

"Relax, you'll be fine. Now hold still." He insisted, pulling out a glass vial and filling it with the blood. As he poured the man's blood into the vial he also began to channel his magic through it. Extracting not only blood, but his spiritual life force as well. Once he was done, he corked the vial and put it back in his jacket.

"That's one year of your life for a car out of the ditch." Jon explained. "Give or take a month or two."

"Seems a lot for a car. It was only a couple months to take care of the busted AC unit."

"Alright, I don't normally do this, but let me offer you some unsolicited advice here." Jon spoke up. "You really need to stop calling us for mundane stuff like this. You're shedding years off your life."

He shrugged. "Until I find another steady job I don't have much of a choice. It's either you guys bleeding me or the Bank."

With their business concluded Jon said his farewells and warped back to the ORC.

"How'd it go?" Rias asked, looking up from her paperwork.

"Oh you know, another lost soul in need of a Devil handyman." He commented taciturnly, hanging up his hat and jacket before having a seat on one of the couches.

"Not exactly the kind of work you pictured, is it?"

"That's an understatement!" He declared in exasperation while lighting a cigarette."There was that group yesterday who needed a fourth for their LARP session. Then the lady the day before who needed help killing a giant rat. You'd think these people would have better uses for our abilities."

"It depends on what our clients need and what they have to offer in return." Rias spoke frankly. "I've given massages, played dress up, Koneko has done private dances for different clients, and Akeno...well I don't think I need to tell you why most people summon her."

At that moment, Jon was picturing Akeno in a Dominatrix outfit holding a bullwhip.

"We don't ever have to…" He coughed awkwardly. "You know…"

"Hmm?" She looked at him curiously, trying to figure out what it was he was getting at. Once she realized he was talking about paid sex she shook her head vehemently. "Oh no no no. We don't offer that." She then added with a slick grin. "And even if we did, no human could afford it."

He chuckled agreeably. A wave of relief washing over him. Rias had been putting him on these crap assignments ever since she found out he was hanging around Asia. While she didn't expressly forbid Jon from seeing her, it was clear Rias was uncomfortable putting him on anything truly dangerous since his run in with another Fallen Angel.

Jon, for the life of him, still couldn't figure Rias out. One minute she behaved like his overprotective mother, the next it looked like she wanted to mount him on her wall. It was disturbing to say the least.

Yet despite that, she'd also been kind to him. Not enough so to make up for the fact he was essentially her slave, but the sentiments she was trying to convey were not lost on him. And after the encounter with the stray Devil, it was slowly dawning on him just how lucky he probably was to end up with the Master he did.

Rias was a lot of things. None of them necessarily good. But, for whatever reason, she did seem to care about him enough not to make his life miserable. While that alone wasn't going to gain his trust, it at least helped ease the tension between the Crimson Queen of Kuoh and her reluctant Pawn.

That didn't change the fact that revenge was his sole priority. Raynare had to pay, everything else was secondary. But at least, after he had his revenge, whatever life awaited him would be a comfortable one.

At that moment Koneko warped into the room and flopped over on the couch. "It happened again." She stated dispassionately.

"Oh dear." Rias frowned thoughtfully. "Jon, it seems Koneko got double booked again. Would you mind taking one of these for her?"

"You sure are popular." Jon complimented in a flirty manner. "I'm starting to get a little jealous."

"It's because I'm actually cute. Unlike you." She replied coldly.

He chuckled, shaking his head at her and standing up to receive his seal from Rias. "You know Koneko, one of these days I'm going to get you to say something nice about me."

"Doubtful." She retorted, taking a candy from the bowl on the center table and beginning to nibble.

"Oh don't mind her." Rias added in a playful tone as she gave Jon his seal. "She doesn't mean a word of it. Otherwise we wouldn't keep catching her spying on you while you're playing guitar in your room."

Koneko dropped the chocolate she was eating and her face heated up. Her entire body seemed to bristle all over before she quickly recovered.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She stated defiantly.

"So that was you I heard humming outside my room." Jon cracked her a charming grin. "You know, if you want to come in and listen all you have to do is say so."

She stood up and looked as if she was about to go off on him. But instead simply turned around and stormed off in a huff, muttering about what an idiot he was. Despite her coldness, Jon felt he really liked Koneko. Sure she was an Ice Queen most of the time, but she genuinely cared for her Peerage and was always the first to jump in and protect someone on a dangerous assignment. It made her cold demeanor almost endearing in a way.

He stubbed out his cigarette and retrieved his jacket and hat. "So where am I headed?"

She checked her paperwork. "Looks like you'll be going to the US for this one. Asheville, North Carolina to be exact."

"Asheville huh? I spent a week training up in the Smoky Mountains when I was fifteen. I've been wanting to go back for awhile." Jon stated jovially.

"Your client is a first time summoner, a man by the name of Harriet Lawson. You should know the drill by now. Don't disappoint me, Jon." She commanded before opening a portal beneath his feet.

"Yeah yeah, I got it."

Rias sighed, a light blush creeping over her cheeks the moment he was gone.

"Just...be careful you silly boy."

* * *

Jon appeared in a Cabin in the rural outskirts of Asheville. The place was decorated incredibly well in lavishly expensive designs that were somehow both indulgent and yet still fit the rustic and cozy theme of the cabin.

"Well this is a nice change of pace." He commented, looking around the well decorated living room.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caught his attention. Jon turned to see a man dressed in silk pajamas standing behind him.

"You Harriet Lawson?"

"I am. So...you're the uhh…"He was clearly nervous. Fortunately it wasn't the first time Jon had dealt with one of these.

"It's alright. You can say it. Devil."

"Right…" Harriet nervously fidgeted in place. "Sorry, I've never done this before. I'm really not sure what to say."

"Tell ya what." Jon offered politely. This guy was nervous, but also polite. Polite enough not to carelessly discard his summoning circle in a closet anyway. "Why don't we sit down and you can ask me whatever you need to. Sound fair?"

He nodded. "Sure. Can I offer you a drink? Brandy maybe? Coffee?"

"I'll take whatever you've got in that crystal bottle over there." He pointed to the rather pricey looking bourbon sitting on the mantle.

Harriet chuckled. "You have an excellent eye. This is from one of our local distilleries." He quickly went over to the mantle and poured his guest a glass before offering it to him.

"Do you care if I smoke?" Jon asked, taking the glass from him.

He frowned. "I mean...under normal circumstances-"

Jon held a hand in the air cutting him off. "Say no more. Your house, your rules." He quickly put his smokes away.

Harriet gave him a curious look. "Are all Devils this polite?"

Jon chuckled in amusement, taking a sip of his bourbon. "It's more a personal policy, really. You show me respect, I show you respect. This is an excellent bourbon by the way." He complimented, holding up the glass.

"Thank you." Harriet responded gratefully. "My husband and I own several distilleries in the area. That particular brew, however, is a sample from one of our businesses in Europe."

Jon nodded, taking note of everything he said. "Is your husband here?"

He shook his head vehemently. "No, he's away doing an inspection of a bottling plant we just opened in Tennessee. He knows absolutely nothing about this."

He continued to listen while taking another sip of his drink.

"I know what you must be thinking." Harriet finally spoke up, hanging his head. "What's a rich gay man like me doing summoning a Devil? Trust me, if I had any other options I would have tried one of those first. As it stands, you're my only hope right now."

Jon put down his drink and sat up, looking the man directly in the eye. This wasn't going to be anything trivial. He could tell. "So what is it you've summoned me for?"

Harriet swallowed his nerves as best he could. He was beginning to sweat. "Listen, no one can know about this…"

"So you know how when you go to the Doctor they have that confidentiality agreement? Basically says if they tell other people your business you can sue? This is kinda like that." He assured. "Whatever is said in this room, stays in this room."

The man nodded, seeming to relax somewhat. "I appreciate that. I really do. What I have to ask you is…" He sighed. "It's not trivial."

Jon nodded in understanding. "Best just to say it. Tell me what it is you need."

Harriet took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. "I need you to kill someone for me."

Somehow he knew that was what the client would want. And though he had been mentally preparing himself for the moment he got a request like this, Jon still found himself hesitating.

Then again, it wasn't like he had never taken human life before.

"Give me the details."

Jon spent the remainder of the evening listening to Harriet give him the sordid details of the target in question. The man he wanted him to kill was a Priest by the name of Freed Sellzen. According to Harriet, he was the head of a children's conversion camp known to the public as Camp Evergreen.

"Why this man in particular?" Jon asked.

"I...had a niece." He finally admitted, pain etched onto his face. "When she came out as a lesbian I was one of the first people she told. But her father, my brother, is a strict Catholic...and a fiend."

He nodded, continuing to listen.

"I begged his wife to help him see reason. But she was just as brainwashed as he is." Tears began to form in his eyes.

"They sent her, didn't they."

He slammed his hand down on the glass table in front of him, nearly breaking it. "My niece deserved better! Those bastards didn't even give her a chance to live!" He took a moment to calm down before continuing. "A couple months later I was told she killed herself. But…"

Jon cocked a brow at him. "You suspect it was something else?"

"We never even got a body." He explained. "The Camp and her parents have both been very hush hush about the whole thing. I don't have any proof but I'm certain they killed her."

"What makes you so certain?"

"I've been looking into this Camp since my Niece died. It's not just Gay kids they're forcing into this place. Troublemakers, non-believers, teen rebels. Pretty much any child with controlling parents and loose morals end up there."

"You're the one that's done all the research." Jon commented. "So I assume you have some theory as to what's going on."

Harriet nodded, a grim look on his face. "Whatever they're doing up there, they're breaking these kids. Indoctrinating them, maybe. I don't know for certain. All I know is that if someone doesn't stop these psychopaths then more kids will end up like my Niece."

"And you need a Devil to do it." Jon finished for him.

"I don't have any other options. The parents consent to the children being there, and so long as the camp pays its taxes the state doesn't bother them. I've wanted to speak out more openly but…"

"Your husband?" Jon guessed.

He sighed morosely. "He doesn't understand. His family was perfect growing up. When he came out to his mom she baked him a cake. They didn't just accept who he was. They fucking celebrated it." Harriet rubbed the bridge of his nose to calm down. "He doesn't get what it's like to live your whole life in a home where everyone despises what you are. I can't simply sit by and do nothing while these monsters continue to hurt children."

"Making a pact with a Devil is a high price." Jon spoke frankly. "You'll be bound to our service for the rest of your life as well as in death. You understand that, right?"

"I haven't made this decision lightly." He spoke with confidence. "If it means bringing justice to my Niece and putting an end that wretched camp, I'll give you whatever you want."

"Very well then." Jon stood up and removed his knife, slitting his palm open as well as Harriet's. The two shook hands, binding Harriet to the Gremory household. "We have a deal."

* * *

The deal had been struck and the pact made. All that remained was for Jon to fulfill his end of the bargain. After speaking with Harriet he returned to the ORC to look more into this Freed Sellzen person and Camp Evergreen. As well as update Rias with a full report.

"So that's the long and short of it. We're looking at six armed guards on the premises, a couple of staff members, at least three Preachers, and the target." Jon finished.

"How many children?" She asked.

"Not sure. It could be only a couple or over a hundred. We won't know for sure until I go there and find out."

Rias listened intently as he gave his report. As confident as he seemed, she was still having her doubts about this one. "You're certain the Client's information is sound?"

"As sure as I can be. Why do you sound nervous?"

She fidgeted in her seat, biting her thumb thoughtfully. "Something about this request...I don't know, I have a strange feeling about it." She kept it at the back of her mind for the moment and refocused. "Remember that the ground will have undoubtedly been sanctified. Your powers will be significantly decreased, comparable to that of a human, so be careful."

He nodded in understanding. "I was a Hunter long before I was a Devil. Human weakness or not I'll get the job done." Before he could turn to leave, however, Rias stopped him.

"Just one more thing. This Freed Sellzen character…" Her voice took on an ominous severity. "...be careful dealing with him. His name is familiar to me, and in my world that's never a good sign."

Jon tipped the brim of his hat to her. "I'll deal with this quickly and be back soon."

With that, Jon disappeared in a summoner's circle. Rias sat quietly at her desk, nervously biting on her fingernail. After a moment she picked up her phone and punched in a series of numbers.

"Akeno, I need you to look into something for me."

* * *

The portal took him roughly two miles from the sight of the camp. From there it was a quick flight to the front gate. Jon had been adapting to his wings fairly well despite the difficult learning curve. Flight for a Devil did not involve flapping their wings physically as it was with birds. Rather their wings were merely a physical manifestation of the levitation spell they used.

This particular ability was, to put it simply, an absolute blast. And were it not for his need to maintain secrecy, Jon would have used it far more often. After all, what young boy doesn't dream of having the power to fly? Well here he was as an adult, living that dream. Even if he did have to sell his soul to get it.

Camp Evergreen itself was deep in the wilds, far away from any major city. A small dirt path just wide enough for a bus being the only apparent way in or out. He wanted to do a flyby of the facility, but found the closer he got the harder it was for him to maintain altitude. As it was, he was forced to land about a quarter mile away from the front gate.

Rias wasn't kidding about his power taking a noticeable dip. He barely felt a connection to his magic anymore. Nor could he summon his Sacred Gear. Fortunately his senses hadn't seemed to dull. And his strength and reflexes remained comparable to that of what he had before he became a Devil as well.

Considering it was only humans he was up against this time, and the hours he had put into mastering his new Revolver, Jon wasn't that worried.

As he approached the electric sliding gate to the camp, he noted two security guards at the perimeter armed with shotguns. Already he could tell something was off. These guys were in uniforms, complete with Kevlar. One of the guards noticed him as he approached and shined a flashlight directly in his face. They hadn't even exchanged words yet and he already hated the guy.

"Who's that out there?" He demanded.

"Calm down gentleman. I'm just here to see my boy."

"This is private property, Sir." The guard explained in an authoritative tone, taking a few steps towards him with his weapon firmly under his arm. "Whoever you are you better turn around and head back where you came from."

Jon continued to approach. "I'm serious, fellas. If I don't get this boy his flip flops his momma's gonna kill me." He looked past the guard approaching and noticed the other guard reporting in on his radio. "We've got a problem at the gates." His sharpened senses picked up. "Interesting facility you got here." He observed, his tone becoming more severe. "What kind of kids camp employs private security and a barbed wire perimeter anyway?"

The guard cocked his shotgun and aimed it right at his face. "This is your last warning! Turn around right now or I will-"

The end of his threat never made it past his lips before they along with half his face were blown off. The second guard barely even had time to react to what had just happened before a fist sized hole was put into the space where his heart used to be.

Jon holstered his revolver and popped a cigarette in his mouth before lighting it. He walked over to one of the dead guards and inspected their uniforms. As he suspected, private security. Picking up one of the shotguns he noted it was a heavily customized Mossberg 500. They weren't just trained, they were well resourced too.

This made no sense. There was no way in hell a backwater facility like this should be able to afford anything beyond a couple of drunks with sawed offs. Where was there funding coming from?

A thought occurred to him. Jon emptied the gun of one of its shells and inspected it. Sure enough, the shells were custom. He crushed the casing in his hand and popped off the primer. He shook out the gunpowder and then swore under his breath as a cluster of silver ball bearings fell out next. These shells had been modified specifically to defend against supernatural creatures.

Just like last time, the job had just gotten a lot more complicated.

"Ross, come in. Ross! Report!"

Jon casually walked over to the radio on the dead guards chest and picked it up.

"Afraid Ross can't make it." He spoke through the receiver. "See, he thought it would be cute to point a gun in my face so I decided to return the favor."

"Who the hell is this?! Identify yourself!" The voice on the other end demanded.

"I'm guessing you're the one in charge of security around here?" Jon continued undeterred, taking a puff of his smoke. "Listen, I've got nothing against you or your men. If you leave now I won't stop you. It's your employer I'm here to see, not you."

"You've got some nerve, Cowboy." The man on the other end seethed. "Who do you think you are to threaten me like that?"

His eyes began to glow red. "I'm the reason you and your men are loading your guns with that custom ammo. I'll tell you right now, it won't do you any good. At best cutting through you will just slow me down. Your employer probably knows that, too."

The radio was quiet.

"This is your only chance." He warned severely. "Leave now, or the rest of your men will die."

There was a long pause before finally the voice replied, much more subdued this time.

"The children are in the church with the Priests...they're the ones you're looking for, right?"

Jon smirked in victory. "Affirmative."

"We're just a private security outfit. We don't want anything to do with all this demonic shit. You let us go we'll forget all about you or this hellish place. Deal?"

"Deal." He replied. "Just one more thing. I want you to send a message to your employer before you leave."

"What?"

"Tell them, Michelle Lawson sends her regards."

He then crushed the radio in his hand and used the dead guards ID to make his way into the camp.

* * *

Jon quickly made his way into the camp and found the Church. Aside from this one main structure and the building where the small security force slept there wasn't anything particularly substantial about this place. Certainly nothing that would warrant the expensive guard detail.

He flicked the remains of his cigarette into the grass and stubbed it out before busting the door to the Church down and slowly making his way inside. Within the Church, three Priests dressed in traditional robes stared back at him with impunity.

"Do you know why I'm here?" Jon asked the three men.

"We know what you are, Devil." The man standing up front shot back nastily. "You defile this holy ground with every filthy step you take."

Jon groaned in exasperation. This was one part of living in a Monastery he certainly did not miss. The Pious Holier than thou attitude of Priests.

"Where are the kids?" He demanded.

"Safe for the moment." The Priest standing up front responded. "And we intend to keep them that way. You will not intervene on God's divine plan."

"Is that really what you expect me to believe is going on here?" Jon asked with an amused chuckle, taking a few steps forward. "Since the moment I stepped foot on this damned land I've smelled nothing but evil. Your God does not look upon this place as kindly as you may think. And your blind faith cannot protect you from me burning it to the ground.

"Blasphemy!" The Priest barked angrily. "We shall not abide your presence here any longer, Monster! You shall perish here as is the fate of all Hell's subjects."

He chuckled back at him dismissively. "Your security detail has scampered off. Turns out twenty bucks an hour ain't worth losing your soul to a Devil. So how do you plan on pulling that off? Through prayer?"

The Priest grinned with a sinister look in his eyes. Jon suddenly felt a sense of dread wash over him.

"No...through the weapons of man."

From beneath the sleeves of the Priest's robes two Ruger GP11s appeared in his hands faster than Jon could have anticipated. He barely managed to dive behind one of the pews before his enemy began firing custom rounds at him. Jon quickly began to crawl between the pews as the Priest on the left side of the room pulled out a heavily customized M16 with laser sights and began unloading as well. Shredding the wooden benches he was ducking under to mulch. The third and final Priest withdrew an IMI Desert Eagle from beneath his robes and began firing high caliber rounds into the support beam Jon ducked behind next.

Jon was reeling. They weren't just Priests. They were trained Hunters.

"Fan out!" The center Priest ordered. "Do not give him a chance to escape!"

The three men reloaded their spent weapons before slowly forming a semi-circle around the thick pillar Jon was pinned against. This wasn't good, even with his heightened reflexes and agility there was no way he could dodge all three of them firing at him simultaneously. And without his magic or his Sacred Gear to support with, he had no way of returning fire from his position.

An idea popped into his head as they slowly approached. The support beam was already on its last legs from where the Priest with the Desert Eagle pumped such heavy caliber rounds into it. With a bit of effort, Jon smashed his left shoulder into the beam and knocked it over, toppling a section of the roof and disorienting the three men long enough for him to take cover behind a new piece of collapsed wood. Before they could return fire he whipped out his revolver and took three shots at the one carrying the M16. Three rounds hit the Priest square in the chest and toppled him to the ground. The remaining two returned fire, littering Jon's cover with bullet sized holes. Jon responded with three more shots, one of which caught the Priest with the Desert Eagle in the leg. The man shouted in pain and dropped to a knee, but it was too early for Jon to celebrate. He was in the process of reloading his weapon when his heightened senses picked up the sound of a pin being pulled from a grenade. Acting purely on instinct Jon whirled back out of cover just in time to see the Priest he had successfully downed about to hurl an M61 right at him. He aimed his revolver at the fragmentation grenade and fired, blowing the Priest into blood and bits of flesh.

It was as he had just downed his second opponent that he felt a horrid pain bite him in the right arm, causing him to drop his revolver. The third and final Priest, Jon's primary target, dropped his spent weapon after having successfully placed one round in his bicep. He pulled a silver machete from beneath his robes and charged. His first swing nearly took Jon's disoriented head off but he managed to evade in time to dodge the next, and the one after that. As skilled as this man was with a pair of guns, he proved to be equally as deadly at close quarters.

Jon was at a disadvantage, incapable of disarming his opponent and barely able to block with his right hand, he had to rely almost entirely on dodging. He was losing ground swiftly when he felt his back hit another wooden support beam. Jon ducked just in time to avoid another headblow causing the Priest's machete to become lodged in the wood. He then planted his shoulder into the man's abdomen and tackled him backwards, lifting him up off the ground and dislodging the machete from his hand, leaving it in the wall. He planted the man on the ground and began to choke him out.

The Priest produced a silver combat knife from his robes and plunged it directly into Jon's thigh. He howled in pain, giving his opponent an opening to flip him over and assume the dominant position, yanking the knife out of Jon's leg and bringing it down towards his throat. Jon blocked with his arms as the Priest summoned every ounce of strength he had to drive the weapon home. With a silver bullet in his right arm and a knife wound that was still burning in his leg, Jon felt his strength waning as the knife came inches away from his neck. At the last second, Jon braced with his good leg and hoisted the man over him, planting the heel of his boot into the Priest's abdomen and sending him flying.

The Priest landed hard on the stone floor but quickly recovered before twirling the knife over in his hand and hurling it directly at Jon. The blade whizzed through the air giving him just enough time to combat roll out of the way while it embedded itself in the broken section of roof behind him. Jon landed near his revolver and was inches away from picking it up before the Priest kicked it three feet away following it up with a swift boot to the face that sent Jon careening back. He quickly managed to regain his wits and stand, gaining enough distance to turn and face his opponent with raised fists.

The two squared off in hand to hand, with the Priest proving himself a learned student of Krav Maga, same as Jon. While he clearly had the strength advantage, the holy poisons seeping into his body combined with the injuries he had sustained put the two combatants on relatively even ground in terms of fighting ability. With both combatants landing well placed body shots and blows to the face. After a few moments of struggling, with Jon at one point kicking his opponent through the section of collapsed roof he had previously been using for cover, he began to notice the Priest was starting to gas out. Even with his wounds, Jon seemed to have the advantage in the stamina department.

And that was when he began to notice his Devil's strength slowly returning. Jon had managed to shed holy blood on sacred ground, effectively desanctifying it. The poisons in his system were slowing the process down, but nonetheless, the edge was leaning more and more in his favor as the fight dragged on.

He took a couple more jabs at the Priest to throw him off his guard before knocking his boots together and delivering a high kick aimed towards the side of his head. The Priest raised both hands up to block but failed to notice the blade on the end of Jon's boot before it was too late. The concealed blade dug into his neck deep enough to lacerate his jugular vein and delivered Hell's deadliest poison into his bloodstream.

As of that moment, the fight was over.

The Priest staggered backwards, clutching at his bleeding neck as the color drained from his face and his veins began to rot and turn black beneath his skin. He collapsed backwards onto the steps, every breath coming in labored gasps.

Jon took a moment to catch his own breath, slowly limping over and picking his hat off the ground. He dusted it off on the side of his pants before placing it back on his head and carefully limping over towards the slowly dying Priest.

"Like that?" Jon taunted. "It's one of the deadliest poisons to ever be concocted in the Underworld. I've been told it hurts like…" He snickered. "Well...I reckon I don't need to tell you what it feels like. You can probably guess that part on your own."

"You Devils are all the same." The Priest gasped out in between labored breaths. "You brazenly destroy all that which you touch, incapable of understanding…" He coughed up a large clot of blood.

Jon picked up his revolver and aimed at the Priest's head, pulling back the hammer with a satisfying click. "Your death will be a slow painful one, the poison will see to that. But if you tell me where the kids are I can end it for you now. Quick and painless, or slow and terrible. It's your choice, Father."

"Go to Hell, Devil wretch!" The Priest spat at him.

Jon sighed wearily, rolling his eyes. "Why does everyone say that to me like it's supposed to be some sort of insult? You do realize you're basically telling me to go to my room, right?"

The Priest chuckled in spite of his pain, a deep throaty laugh that resonated throughout the halls of the Church. "You think yourself so superior to me now, don't you? Now that you've cast aside your humanity. Pray that hubris does not become your undoing. What you have become will not save you from God's Wrath...Heaven's Revolver."

Jon slowly lowered his gun, his mouth agape in stunned silence. "How do you know that name?"

"I know who you are, Jonathan Hyodo." The man let loose another hacking cough. "The bearer of the Dragon's Mark. The once great American Hunter, turned into a Devil." His smirk did nothing to hide the callous hatred he bore in his eyes. "He warned us you would be coming."

"Who?" Jon demanded.

"Freed Sellzen." He spoke maliciously. "That's the man you were sent to kill, right? He has not been here for quite some time, I'm afraid."

"Where is he?!"

The Priest Jon had mistakenly assumed was his target didn't answer. Rather he simply continued to chuckle in that same pained and labored way, his breaths becoming more and more ragged with each passing second. Jon holstered his weapon and walked up to him, knocking his boots together to reveal his poisoned blade once more. "There's still plenty of time to make your life worse before it ends. Now talk! Where is Freed Sellzen?!"

"Don't worry." He replied with a sardonic grin. "You will see him soon enough. After all, he's already been looking for you."

Jon scowled at him angrily, about ready to rip his head off. Before exploding however, he calmed himself back down and retook control. "Alright then, if you won't answer me that question. How about this one. Why has the Order of the Saintly Knights of Michael lowered itself to dealing in child indoctrination? The Code expressly forbids-"

"Do not speak to me of my Orders Code, Monster!" The Priest shouted angrily, hacking up more blood in the process. "Not now...not after what you did."

He frowned, turning his head away for a moment as a remorseful memory gripped his heart.

"Yes, I know all about your betrayal." He sneered at him. "You were supposed to become our greatest weapon. A force capable of surpassing even the Legendary Holy Sword Users. That Sacred Gear you carry would have spearheaded the charge against all of God's enemies, ensuring our victory in the coming war…" His head tilted back onto the steps as his breathing began to slow. "But now...that dream is lost. You stole it from us…"

Jon remained silent, no longer looking him in the eye.

"I no longer follow the Order's Teachings. They're blind to the fact that we are losing this conflict. Every year the masses who pray for God's salvation slowly declines. Every year the Church pews grow empty." He continued, his voice somber. "Freed Sellzen has shown me a different path. One that will lead to our salvation despite our Children's lack of faith."

"Who is Freed working for? If you're not affiliated with the Order then who do you serve?"

"You've met them….already." He whispered in his final breaths.

The Priest's eyes slowly fell shut as his lifeless body gasped out its last breath. As his blood spread across the church floor, the holy ground upon which Jon stood became completely tainted with the murder of its final guardian, negating its influence over the landscape and restoring the Devil's full power once more.

* * *

Jon sat on the steps to the Church smoking a cigarette and allowing his body to heal. Though his wounds weren't severe, the poisons had definitely taken their toll. He'd be recovering for awhile, that was for sure.

After dealing with the Priests he found the remaining children tucked away in a bunker beneath the campgrounds along with the camp staff. While the staff were less than thrilled to see him, they were ultimately powerless now that their last line of defense was gone. So Jon left them be for the moment. It wasn't like any of them were going to remember this night anyway.

A portal opened in the center of camp transporting Rias along with the rest of the ORC to him. As she approached her wounded Hunter a small frown covered her features.

"You really do know how to make a complete mess of yourself. You know that, right?"

He smirked up at her before tossing the remains of his cigarette aside and standing up. "Force of habit, I suppose." He cast his eyes to the ground shamefully. "I'm sorry, Rias. I failed. Freed Sellzen was never here. I can't complete the Pact."

She shook her head at him. "What are you talking about? The Pact is complete."

He looked at her curiously. "But the deal was-"

"The deal was for you to destroy this place and ensure no harm befouled the kids here. That was the whole point in you killing Freed in the first place. Though you failed in the latter, you succeeded in the former." She explained.

He grinned at her mischievously. "That's awfully shrewd thinking of you."

"Hey, it's not my fault humans never bother to read the fine print."

"We will take it from here." Akeno assured. "Return to your client and inform him the job is done."

With a sigh of relief he nodded at them. "Understood. Thank you."

Rias opened a new portal for Jon which he stepped onto without hesitation. The portal warped him back to his client's home in Asheville, North Carolina.

"Harriet. Harriet Lawson? You there?" Jon called out, looking around the quiet and empty living room for any sign of his client.

A sudden, sharp warning of danger surged through his nerves. The same feeling he felt staring at the Church he helped guide Asia to. Jon slowly drew his revolver and began to search around the house. Making his way from room to room as his Devil heart raced out of his chest. Upon entering the bedroom, Jon felt his boot hit something wet.

He looked down to see a large puddle of blood leading to the lifeless body of Harriet Lawson.

"Oh shit…" He quietly mumbled to himself.

"Evil shall slay the wicked. And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned." An unsettlingly calm voice spoke. "Words to live by, wouldn't you say?"

Jon immediately trained the barrel of his gun on the figure standing in the far corner of the room. From the shadows, the man calmly walked forward into the light, illuminating his silver hair and psychotic smile. He was dressed in the same Priests robes as the three Hunters back at the Camp.

"Well well. Looks to me as if you've just stumbled into the wrong house, my friend."

Jon smirked back at him. "Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you."

He fired off four shots aimed directly at the Priest's chest. Four shots that never hit their target. A wall of light deflecting each one.

"What?!" Jon stepped backwards in surprise.

With a sardonic smile, the man in front of him lowered the holy shield he had cast. "You must be the little Pussy who's been nipping at my heel." With an obtuse bow the histrionic character introduced himself.

"Freed Sellzen, at your service."

"So you're the one behind all this nonsense." Jon replied, quickly regaining his composure. "How does a Priest come to gain the same powers of an Angel? I had always been told such a feat was impossible."

"This coming from the former Hunter turned Devil. That's rich." Freed laughed hysterically, a maniacal look in his eyes. "This power is a gift from my benefactors, same as you."

"Angels don't share power with humans." Jon retorted. "Not without them giving up their life in the process."

"Angels still connected to God maybe." Freed explained. "But there are plenty of other Angels who will gladly share what they have with those willing to do their dirty work for them."

He knew it. This psychotic bastard wasn't with the Order. He was working for the Fallen Angels.

"And when it comes to killing degenerate Devils like you and that sinner lying in his own blood over there. I assure you there is no one better than me."

Before Jon could fire off another shot his weapon was knocked clean from his hand. He stared in horror down the smoking barrel of a very familiar looking Smith and Wesson.

"I gotta say this is one nice fucking shooter!" Freed cackled with maniacal glee. "I really owe you for parting with such a sweet piece."

Acting on instinct, he blasted Freed with a wave of hellfire. Momentarily putting the Priest back on guard and igniting the walls around him. Jon rolled over to pick up his gun and darted out of the bedroom.

Moments before bolting down the hall back to the living room he heard the sound of a revolver and felt an unbearable pain shoot through his ankle and up his leg.

"Fuck, that was sloppy!" He cursed to himself. The holy poisons already in his system hadn't worn off yet, dulling his senses and decreasing his reaction times.

Jon ignored it as best he could and hobbled back into the living room, quickly diving behind a sofa and knocking it over for cover just in time to hear three more shots go off. The searing pain in his leg became unbearable and he clutched at the entry and exit wounds that had been left behind by the Priests bullet. He quickly returned fire just in time to see Freed duck behind a nearby wall, moving at inhuman speeds.

"I hope you don't mind, I took the liberty of improving the ammunition. Hope those holy rounds taste good, scumbag!" Freed called to him from behind cover.

The two exchanged revolver fire with one another. Blasting fist sized holes in the surrounding walls and furniture. The fire that had consumed the bedroom slowly began to make its way throughout the entire house, turning the scene around them into one giant blazing inferno.

"I've heard quite a lot about you, Jon!" Freed called out again from behind another piece of cover. Jon was ignoring him, quickly refilling his weapon and moving to a better position. Doing his best to ignore the horrendous pain in his still bleeding ankle. "They say when it comes to raw talent as a Hunter there's not another human on this Earth who's been able to best you. That is until you met me of course!"

Arrogant prick thought he was already beaten. But Jon still had a few more tricks up his sleeve. After another exchange of fire he pulled a custom grenade from his jacket and yanked the pin out with his teeth.

"Hope you're ready to die, asshole!" Freed taunted moments before Jon lobbed the grenade. The bomb detonated, sending a noxious plume of black smoke into the air. Freed coughed and wheezed, staggering around and struggling for breath.

"The fuck is this?!" He rasped. "Smells like shit!"

From the corner of his vision he managed to spot two pairs of red eyes glaring back at him through the smoke. Six fresh shots fired off, one of which hit him in the arm. Freed cursed in pain as the unholy round dug into his skin and began bleeding profusely.

"Sulfur bomb." Jon explained whilst reloading his weapon. "I imagine that crap must be pretty obnoxious to you. But it doesn't really affect a creature like me at all."

Freed returned fire in a blind rage. Jon waited for an opening. The moment he counted six shots he stepped out of cover again to return fire. He very nearly lost his head as a blade sliced inches from his neck. Before he could aim again, the blade knocked the revolver from his hands. Yet another obstacle he hadn't accounted for. Freed Sellzen was wielding a Blade of Light. A mythical holy sword thought only wieldable by Angels.

"I gotta say, that really fucking hurt!" He shouted with psychotic glee whilst clutching at his wounded arm. "So here's how this is gonna work. First I'm gonna cut out your heart with this sword of mine. And then I'll blow your fucking face off with your own holy revolver! How does that sound, Devil?!"

Freed swung his sword horizontally, aiming to cleave his head off once more. In that span of time Jon summoned his Sacred Gear and brought the gauntlet up to his head, blocking the killing blow.

"Damn you!" He bellowed, striking at the Priest with a blast of energy from his Sacred Gear. The force destroyed the wall and staircase behind him, but missed Freed who had dashed out of the way. The two began a furious clash with their weapons. Jon's Sacred Gear versus Freed's Sword of Light. Though at first they appeared evenly matched, the Holy Poisons in Jon's system had begun to really take their toll. That, combined with the blood loss from his leg, meant he was slowly beginning to lose ground.

Jon managed to knock Freed backwards with a right hook before going for another energy blast with his gauntlet. The blast hit the wall behind Freed, who had completely vanished.

"Too slow!" Freed taunted moments before Jon felt the worst pain he had known since his last encounter with the business end of a Light Spear shoot through his back. The Blade of Light Freed wielded sliced a diagonal laceration from one corner of his torso all the way down in a diagonal to the other. Jon collapsed onto the ground, his body no longer responding to his commands for movement.

"Really?! That's it?!" Freed cackled insanely once more whilst wiping a trail of blood from his lip. "Honestly, the shame! Getting a guy all worked up and then leaving him halfcocked like that. That's no way for a lady to treat a man!"

Jon cursed to himself. Had he been more fresh for this fight, it wouldn't have gone this way. Freed had his number from the get go, using Jon's battle with his goons as a means to slow him down and set up this trap. Too little too late. There was nothing he could do about it now.

Freed brought the sword up over his head for the Coup De Grace.

"NO!"

A small squeaky voice pierced through the chaos and stopped Freed in his tracks. Both men turned their heads towards the direction of the sound. A face Jon never thought he would see there in a million years was staring down at him in abject horror, one trembling little hand cupped over her gaping mouth.

"Asia, what are you doing here?" Freed asked, more annoyed than actually angry. "Did you finish erecting the barrier like you were supposed to?"

"D...don't do this!" She pleaded. "You can't!"

He glared at her in confusion before smirking again. "Riiight, I forgot your a newbie. Well it's about time you learned. This is what the job is, my dear. We dispose of evil Devils and the people who have been bewitched by them."

She continued to stare down at Jon, still reeling in horror over the revelation of what she had just learned.

He stared back at her, a grin on his face to hide the pain he now felt in his heart. This was exactly what he was afraid of.

"Hey, Asia. Good to see you again." Jon choked out painfully.

"Hold on a minute. What's going on here?" Freed demanded. "Do you two actually know each other?"

"Jon...why are you here?" Her eyes glassed over. She was on the verge of tears.

"You know why." He replied quietly, doing his best to sit up on his arms.

"But...no...it can't be." Her lip quivered, her voice catching in her throat. "No one as kind as you could possibly be…"

"I am what I am." He responded dully. "And for what it's worth, I'm happy I got to know you back when you still thought I was human."

She cupped her hands over her mouth and shut her eyes as tears rolled down both her cheeks. Asia shook her head vehemently over and over again, refusing to believe what it was she was seeing.

"Well...as heartwarming as this is…" Freed observed, that same psychotic look in his eye. "I'm afraid this does present me with a bit of a problem."

As Asia continued to sob quietly to herself, Freed approached and leaned down directly next to her ear. "In case you've forgotten, our bosses have strictly ordered there to be absolutely no contact between our kind and there's." He said, pointing over to the weakened Jon. "Have you forgotten that already?"

"But...but he is…"

This was killing him worse than the holy weapons. Despite everything she just learned, Asia was still staring down at him with such...compassion. Such mercy. Jon hated it. He despised that she was wasting so much kindness on him.

"He is a traitor to his former Order!" Freed angrily responded. "The very same one you once belonged to, as I recall. This is the man who slaughtered his entire Chapter of Hunters and abandoned the Saintly Knights of Michael. He murdered them in cold blood and delivered the Dragon's Mark directly into the hands of their enemies. Heaven's greatest hope for victory in the coming war, and he stole it from them."

"You damn liar!" Jon barked angrily. "You don't know what you're talking about! It wasn't…"

He stared back at Asia's horror stricken face. She looked so conflicted, so utterly lost as to what she should do. The fact that his darkest secret had been revealed to such an innocent and kind soul as hers was too much for him to bare.

Jon simply hoped his death, at least, would be more merciful than this.

"Now then, shall we go ahead and do what we came here to do?" Freed asked, placing the tip of his blade directly against Jon's throat. "Not that it matters much, but I hope you've been saying your prayers!" He taunted, lifting the sword over his head to go in for the kill.

He stopped halfway through swinging. Jon watched in horror as Asia, that sweet innocent girl who had every right to despise him for what he had become, stepped in front of them. Resolute in forming a wall between him and Freed's blade.

"You've gotta be kidding me with this." Freed groaned in exasperation, disgusted by the display.

"Please don't hurt him, I beg you." She pleaded, tears forming in her eyes once more. "Forgive this man his sins, Father. Just this once can you please just let him go?"

Jon could scarcely believe it. How could she do this? After everything she just heard, how could she still be so forgiving?

"This thing isn't a man any longer. You made a pledge to rid the world of our enemies, girl." Freed stated angrily.

"It doesn't matter to me what he is, there is goodness in him. I know it! I was there when it happened!"

Jon's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.

"I know the truth about what happened that night he left the Order! I saw it all with my own eyes! He didn't betray the Saintly Knights of Michael, they betrayed him!"

"Asia…" Jon barely managed to whisper.

"This man has spent his life sacrificing his own happiness for the good of others! Even if he has lost his humanity, I still believe in him! I still believe in Heaven's Revolver!"

"Gaaah! Enough of this bullshit!" Freed shouted angrily before slicing Asia's robes clean off her body, as well as cutting her plain white bra in half. Exposing her breasts. Asia screamed in terror and covered herself.

"Have you lost your fucking mind?!" He shouted in rage. "Are there maggots growing in that space between your ears?!"

"Let her go!" Jon barked angrily.

Freed hoisted the terrified girl up and held her by her chin. "The Fallen Angels told me I'm not supposed to hurt you. But I don't give a damn about that now." His sadistic smirk returned as he ran his tongue along her neck. She let out a startled cry and tried to squirm away but he held her wrist in place. "You know what happens to naughty girls, don't you?!"

Freed slammed her against the wall and pinned her arms over her head with his sword. Holding her in place.

"Asia!" Jon shouted, desperately trying to drag himself over to her with nothing but the strength in his arms.

Freed grabbed her breast roughly, eliciting another terrified scream from the blonde beauty, while he lifted up her skirt with his revolver. "Why shouldn't a Priest like me get to do whatever he wants with a filthy tramp like you? That's not so wrong, is it?"

"Don't hurt me!" She pleaded, turning her head away and closing her eyes.

Six shots rang through the air, three aimed at freed, and the other three at his blade. Freed barely had time to erect a barrier, giving Jon the opening he needed to shatter his blade into a million pieces. Asia tumbled to the floor and quickly scampered away into a far corner, covering herself up as best she could. Freed appeared to be in legitimate shock as he inspected the hilt of his broken sword. Meanwhile Jon was leaning against a far wall, using a table for support. His still smoking Colt in his outstretched hand.

All around them, the burning house was beginning to fall apart.

"Touch her again and I'll fucking kill you!" Jon shouted angrily, his eyes glowing as bright as the fire that raged around them.

Freed cackled maniacally at him. "Well how about that? Looks like you have more spirit than I gave you credit for." With inhuman speed he aimed his own revolver back at Jon. "Well come on then! Show me what you've got, Devil scum!"

"Asia run!" Jon ordered. "While he's busy fighting me get as far away from this place as you possibly can!"

"NO!" She screamed. "You don't have to do this! Save yourself!"

Dammit, she wasn't listening! Jon knew perfectly well he stood no chance against Freed in his current state. Not to mention the building was threatening to come down around them at any minute. But if he didn't do something now, Asia would be killed. This girl who stood in his defense despite everything she knew about him would be raped and tossed aside if he didn't end this here and now.

Even if he died, he was gonna make damn sure this psychotic freak was going with him.

"Bastard!" Jon bellowed in rage, his wings sprouting from his back as he took flight. His opponent opened fire with six shots, to which Jon retaliated by firing six of his own in flight. The bullets struck each other and deflected themselves off one another. Seeing an opening, Jon dove directly at Freed, who was taken off guard upon seeing his shots miss their mark. He grabbed the gun with his right hand. The holy metal burned his flesh but he managed to pry it loose and toss it away, while simultaneously driving his gauntlet straight into Freed's face.

His body gave out moments before impact and the gauntlet faded, the Holy Poisons in his system having drained the last of his magic. Jon's bare fist collided with Freed's cheekbone, knocking him to the ground and splitting his lip. Though initially dazed, the blow was nowhere near fatal.

Freed calmly wiped the fresh blood from his lip and spat the rest onto the ground. "I admit, I'm impressed." He declared with an angry scowl, redrawing the hilt of his sword and reforming the Blade of Light with his magic. "Had I not been so meticulous in my planning this could have gone very badly for me. Whaddya say we go for a new record, Devil Scum?" His eyes filled with bloodlust. "Whaddya say we see just how many pieces I can chop you into?!"

Jon braced for the worst as his enemy charged. From the corner of the room he heard Asia shriek in horror.

Moments before the sword came down, a red circle of light enveloped the room and pushed Jon away from Freed's range. A figure darted at lightning speed out of the circle and clashed with the Priest's blade. Parrying with an onyx blade that sparked with black lightning.

"Kiba?!" Jon called out.

"Hey Jon!" Kiba called back in a friendly manner as he continued to block and parry Freed's attacks. "Sorry were late!"

At that moment, Akeno popped her head through the opening in the portal and looked around. "Oh this is gross, talk about a nasty mess."

She was quickly joined by Koneko, who looked at the priest with disgust. "A Priest. Lovely…"

Freed jumped backwards to gain some distance. "Oh hell yeah! Now we've got ourselves a good old fashioned gangbang!" He declared with that same psychotic glee.

"Sorry to disappoint, but you're done here." Kiba insisted in his usual, unflappable demeanor. "I can tell just by looking at you that you're running on fumes." He smirked at him. "Jon did more damage than you're letting on, didn't he?"

For the slightest moment, Freed sneered angrily.

Kiba focused again. "He's one of us, and we're not about to let you destroy him."

"Oh I'm hardly disappointed, trust me." Freed responded. "So what's the deal with you and Brokeback Cowboy over there? Are you the pitcher or the catcher?"

"For a Priest, that's quite a mouth you've got there." He observed, completely unphased.

"Oh what are you? The impiety police? Get off your high horse, douchebag! Hunting your kind is my only concern. So stop preaching and let's get to it!" His mental state was becoming more and more unstable with each passing second, much like the structural integrity of the building.

"My my, this guy certainly is a piece of work." Akeno commented in her usual playfully blithe manner.

"And you, my dear, are a hot piece of ass." Freed replied, in an uncharacteristically flirty way. "Those eyes are killing me! There's nothing I lust after more than a sexy Devil Bitch!"

"If you want it come and get it." Rias spoke up.

From behind the portal a stream of red and black lightning shot towards Freed, knocking him back into the far wall before he even knew what had just happened. Rias stood in the center of the room, her hand raised as power emanated throughout her entire being.

"But I really don't think you could handle it. Nobody hurts one of my servants." She finished in her calm authoritative tone.

"Rias…" Jon weakly called out, propping himself against an overturned chair.

"Wellll, look who just showed her tits. The Queen Bitch herself!"

Rias turned around and looked at Jon, that same worried look she always had on her face when he knew he had overdone it again. "It's alright, I'm here." She assured in an almost motherly voice.

Jon growled in frustration. "Fucker got the jump on me. He set this whole thing up to attack while I was still healing."

Kiba, upon hearing this, glared hatefully at Freed. "So that's it, huh? I wasn't aware the Fallen Angels had such cowards in their ranks."

"Oh piss off, Asshole!" Freed shouted in rage. "All is fair when dealing with Devil Scum like you!"

She lowered herself down to his level and placed a tender hand on his cheek. "Look at how hurt you are, my Hunter. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I should never have sent you on this Job alone. I sent you straight into the arms of danger without even knowing what might happen." There was guilt in her voice. "Were it not for there being a barrier up until a few moments ago, I would have come the moment I sensed you were in trouble."

He gazed back up at her searchingly. Why did her hand feel so...warm?

From the other side of the room, Asia watched Rias tend to Jon's wounds. Before she could speak, she felt a swift kick knock her to the ground.

"Dammit! You were supposed to finish the barrier!" Freed kicked her repeatedly into the ground while she wailed in pain. "Stupid bitch! You're useless!"

Jon felt his rage boil again, and he struggled in Rias's grasp. The moment the Crimson Haired Devil saw the pain in her servants eyes from watching the young Nun get repeatedly kicked, Rias knew exactly what she had to do.

"It's okay." She whispered to him. "Leave this to us."

Rias stood up and addressed Freed. "I will never forgive those who do harm to one of my Servants. Nor will I abide you hurting someone he cares for." She seethed.

He stared at her in disbelief. She didn't really mean that right?

"I especially don't tolerate sniveling little rats like you. Your wretched being has no business remaining in this world." Her eyes began to glow as her body radiated with unholy power. "Which is why I intend to purge it."

Freed felt the immense power emanating from Rias as well as noticing several support beams in the ceiling that were about to give. After checking his wounds, he sighed glumly. "Well shit...looks like this could be a problem. I may need some backup."

Koneko looked up into the air just in time to see a section of roof come tumbling down, which she quickly caught before it was able to crush anyone. "This place won't hold up for much longer."

Freed howled in maniacal laughter. "Hope you bitches are hungry because it looks like falling house is on the menu!"

"So what's the plan?" Akeno asked in urgency.

"Right now we just need to get Jon out of here." Rias ordered. "Akeno prepare to jump."

"Right." Akeno began to open a new portal as instructed.

"Koneko, make sure we have Jon with us."

"Kay." She replied, tossing the roof aside and running over to scoop him up.

"You lot are screwed now!" Freed screamed right as a section of wall knocked him on the head, rendering him unconscious.

"Wait!" Jon shouted. "We can't leave yet! What about Asia?!"

"I'm sorry, Jon." Rias interjected solemnly. "But only members of my House can jump with this circle."

"Dammit! We can't leave her behind! She's the whole reason I'm still alive!"

"It's okay." Asia insisted, small tears forming in her eyes as a portal opened behind her. "Go without me. I promise we will see each other again."

"Asia!" Jon shouted.

Despite his wounds it still took every member of the Peerage to keep him in place as they warped away. Moments later, the building support structures gave way and the entire house collapsed.


	11. Chapter 11

**::Author's Note::**

**So I've noticed a pattern in the comments. Let me start by saying thank you Kushmeister420 for reviewing and leaving a solid critique. **

**I realize that I've set certain expectations for Jon's character and have been jobbing him out to Raynare and her gang for the past few chapters, but it wasn't without reason. When I originally set out to write this fanfiction, I wanted to create a character with enough skill and impressive potential that a being like Rias Gremory would show interest. But at the same time, I didn't want him to be an unstoppable badass mary sue. Because those just aren't fun to write in my opinion.**

**Jon gets the shit kicked out of him a lot. I'll readily admit that. But he learns from these beatings, and becomes stronger. And my friends, it's about to pay off.**

**I present to you all, Chapter Eleven.**

**::End Note::**

Rias's hands were like silk against Jon's chest. Her breasts pressing into his back allowed him to feel the steady rise and fall of her chest. Her breath was like steam against his ear, hot and filled with the subtlest hint of desire beyond just touching his naked flesh. As their two bodies joined together, and his wounds slowly began to heal, the only thing he could really concentrate on was how the universe was testing his willpower right now.

Unfortunately for him and Rias both. Jon was only a C student.

"Sorry." He stated flatly, turning away in embarrassment.

She looked at him curiously before gazing down and finally noticing. Her eyes went wide for a second before she placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. "It's no problem. I consider it a compliment."

And what a healthy compliment it was. Something to mull over later while she was in the shower.

"If you'd like I can help take care of it for you." She offered.

He coughed awkwardly, doing his best not to look as surprised by her sudden statement as he was. "It's fine, really."

'Come on Jon! Dead puppies! Dead puppies! Dead puppies!'

"That should be good enough for now. Akeno can bandage up what remains." She finally let go of him and left to go bathe. Jon pulled on his boxers and a pair of black gym shorts and made his way out of his room heading back towards the Chapter Room where Akeno was waiting patiently to bandage him up. She got one look at Jon shirtless and couldn't hide the pleased little smirk that formed on her face.

"Another scar to add to the collection." She observed in a teasing manner.

He rolled his eyes at her and chuckled, going over to the couch and sitting down before offering her his back. Akeno quickly began the process of applying a healing ointment to the long cut on his back before wrapping it up with gauze. As she did so, he heard the water in the next room turn on.

"You really should take it easy for awhile." Rias called out to him from behind the stall. "The light magic from that Stray Hunter was quite powerful. You'll need to let your body recover before we send you on any more jobs."

"Hold on, did you say Stray Hunter?" Jon asked, doing his best not to move too much while Akeno wrapped him up. "I wasn't even aware that such a thing existed."

"Think about it." Kiba, who was sitting at the couch opposite of him next to Koneko, spoke up. "If Angels can fall from grace then why not Hunters too? Stray Hunters are those souls trained by the Church who have lost their faith in God and thrown their lot in with the Fallen Angels in exchange for wealth and power. With many of them plying their trade in the criminal underground. That camp you liberated was probably just a front for human trafficking. And those poor fools guarding them had no idea."

"You can't seriously be telling me Asia is in the same camp as that psychotic freak is? I refuse to believe that."

"We're not saying anything of the sort." Rias, who had left the shower and wrapped herself in a towel, joined the others by the couches. "All we're saying is that, for whatever reason, she serves the Fallen Angels. That's just something you're going to have to come to accept."

Jon remained silent. By the expression on his face, he was still clearly troubled.

"I'm gonna go use the sandbags." He finally decided before standing up and leaving the room.

Rias sighed morosely, taking a seat next to Akeno. "He's still troubled."

"He just needs to be by himself for awhile." She assured. "Perhaps in the meantime, we can find some way to cheer him up?"

Kiba glanced towards the door thoughtfully. "Actually, I think I may have an idea."

* * *

By the time Kiba had changed into his gym clothes and descended the stairs to the basement, he had been greeted to the sight of a veritable punching bag massacre. Three of the four bags had been busted open or knocked off the chain completely and the fourth was not far behind. Jon was really laying into them, smashing the sand out with every other punch. It was clear to Kiba he was just trying to vent, as opposed to actually train. He simply watched for a moment as Jon delivered one final kick that completely tore the bag open and caused all the contents to come pouring out onto the floor.

"I suppose I'll need to order us some more." He commented.

Jon took a deep breath before going over to a nearby water bottle and pouring its contents over his head to cool off. He had only been down there for about half an hour, but he had already worked up a decent sweat.

"Sorry." He replied, somewhat out of breath. "Didn't mean to break em."

Kiba shook his head. "Better that you work it out on the bags than on yourself."

He scoffed bitterly. "Don't think I can't do both." His eyes bore the weight of his thoughts as he spoke. "I wasn't strong enough to do anything to help her. Hell, if you guys hadn't shown up, I'd be dead right now." He crushed the water bottle in his hand. "All this strength and I was still so damn powerless!" He shouted, tossing the bottle across the room.

"You were ambushed by a deadly Stray Hunter after being wounded by Holy Weapons. Freed had that whole trap meticulously laid out for you. There was nothing you could have done, and the fact you managed to fight him off for as long as you did was frankly absurd."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Jon began pacing back and forth like a feral animal. "That doesn't change the fact those bastards still have Asia!" He slammed his fist against the wall, shaking the foundations. "I should have been able to do more. I should have saved her. Asia deserved better than that."

So that's what was bothering him, Kiba deduced. "I tell you what. How about we have a match?" He offered, pointing towards the ring.

Jon stared at the boxing ring and then back at Kiba, giving him an amused chuckle. "Seriously? You wanna spar?"

Kiba shrugged. "Why not? Training is always more effective with two people."

"Should I even be doing that while I'm still recovering?"

"What?" Kiba offered him a cheeky grin. "You saying you're not up to the challenge?"

Jon cocked a brow at him. "Don't put words in my mouth."

Kiba stepped over to the glove rack. "Come on then. Let's see what you're made of."

Jon and Kiba both stripped down to nothing but their gym pants and tennis shoes before taping their hands and gloving up. As they began their warm up, Jon couldn't help but notice that Kiba was in incredible shape for someone his size. While he had him beat in terms of sheer muscle mass, that lithe frame of Kiba's appeared to have been chiseled from pure marble, and hardened over multiple battles. This wasn't just an athletes body, this was the sort of muscle you gained as a warrior. Much like his.

The two men stepped into the ring and squared up. Though it was just a sparring match, Jon had no doubt that egos were about to run wild.

"Think you can keep up with me, Cowboy?" Kiba taunted in a refreshingly uncharacteristic manner.

"Just see to it I don't knock any teeth out of that pretty head of yours." He retorted, raising his gloves up to meet Kiba's.

The two men knocked gloves together and the match began.

They circled each other warily for a moment before Kiba seemingly vanished into thin air. Jon looked around in time to just barely dodge his first hook but then caught a left jab straight to the chin. It wasn't clean enough to knock him out, however, and Jon quickly retaliated with a hook of his own. Kiba blocked and the two backed away, circling each other again. This time Jon attacked first, coming in hot with a powerful haymaker that Kiba expertly swooped under and returned with an uppercut. Jon backed away and caught Kiba in the side of the head with a swift kick following his attempted uppercut.

Much to Jon's surprise, Kiba took the kick and remained standing. Okay, so Pretty Boy could take a hit. Kiba darted behind him and leapt into the air, performing a spinning high kick that Jon just barely managed to block. The force of the impact still sent him careening into the ring ropes, which he then used to propel himself forward and follow up with a mean straight punch.

Just as Jon had predicted, egos began to run unchecked. And what started out as a friendly sparring match turned into a bloodthirsty competition. Neither opponent backed down an inch as they both began mercilessly barraging each other with every weapon in their hand to hand arsenal. While Jon had the clear advantage in the strength department, Kiba far outclassed him in speed. Kiba landed more shots, but Jon's had more power behind them.

By the ten minute mark, both men were still going at it hard. Neither one conceding an inch even as sweat poured from there bodies in glistening rivets. Their faces were red from overexertion and their bodies shined like chrome in the dim light of the basement. Their attacks simply became more and more heavy handed as Demonic power came into play. The ring ropes began to buckle under the strain of both men being haphazardly thrown about.

By the twelve minute mark, the match had gone to the ground. With both men rolling on top of each other trying to seek the dominant position. Sweat continued to pour from their bodies, adding an extra layer of challenge as they tried to apply chokes and submissions to one another. Kiba eventually found Jon's back and attempted to go for a rear naked choke, but Jon managed to get back on his feet, and with every ounce of strength he had, tossed Kiba into the wall. Kiba corrected himself mid flight and planted his feet on the wall right as he made contact. The stone cracked beneath him and the entire house seemed to shake with the force of the impact. As soon as he hit, he was gone just as quickly, launching himself forward like a bullet towards Jon, his right fist ready to deliver a flying hook that was certain to end the match. Jon managed to bring his gloves up over his head and channel his power into the muscles in his arms. As the two men made contact the shockwave that followed rocked the entire structure and collapsed the ring, bringing both of them down with it.

Kiba and Jon splayed out on the broken ring, panting heavily. Both of them had put up their best fight, but in the end it was a draw.

"I think we may have gone a little overboard." Kiba admitted in between gasps for air.

Jon chuckled, just as gassed out as Kiba was. "Maybe, still I had no idea you could fight like that."

"You're not half bad yourself." Kiba admitted. "I see why Rias likes having you around."

As both men recovered it was clear that a newfound sense of respect had been established between them. In the short time he'd gotten to know Kiba he realized he had him pegged all wrong. Not only was he an exceptionally hard worker, but he wasn't afraid to break a sweat either. After having sparred with him, it was obvious to Jon he had still been underestimating the Pretty Boy.

"I feel I owe you an apology, Kiba." He replied. "When we first met I wasn't sure you and I would get along. You always came off to me as kinda stuck up and spoiled."

He smirked back at him. "For what it's worth, I thought you came off as kind of a preachy show off."

Jon laughed heartily. "I guess I earned that one.

They laid there in silence for a moment.

"Hey…" He spoke up, his breathing having finally returned to normal.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks...I needed that. Helped me clear my head a little."

Kiba sat up and smiled at him. "It was no trouble. We're Peerage Brothers after all."

Jon sat up and returned his smile with one of his own. "Brothers huh? Never had one of those before…."

"Me neither…" Kiba admitted. "...but I think I like the sound of it."

"Yeah…" Jon agreed. "...yeah, me too."

Unbeknownst to both boys, the ladies of the ORC had been watching the entire time on Rias's looking glass. Each of their faces being almost as heated as the men's were. But considering they hadn't so much as budged from the couch, there's were clearly flushed for an entirely different reason.

"Girls…" Rias calmly spoke up, fanning herself with a magazine."...how is it we got to be this lucky?"

"I'm not sure." Akeno admitted, having bitten through her finger hard enough to draw blood again. "But I was hoping they'd go another round."

"Tsk, whatever…" Koneko feigned disinterest as usual. Completely oblivious to the fact that her underwear was visibly soaked. "If you two will excuse me, I need to go shower."

* * *

The week that followed showed Jon recover back to full health. While the scar on his back would serve as a constant reminder to his failure, it also served as the motivation he needed to push forward. He was determined not to let something like this happen again. And more than anything, he wanted to return the favor to Asia and save her from those wretched Fallen Angels. Which was why he had taken up the habit of running during the day when the sun was at its peak.

The experience was miserable at first. His legs felt like tar in the afternoon sun, and he was certain his lungs would catch fire by the end of each run. But every day he pushed through and every day it seemed to get a little easier.

As Jon was going for his mid-day run he stopped in the park to do pull ups on the monkeybars. He was determined to get to at least twenty five. Five more than he was able to do yesterday.

"Twenty three!" He grunted out loud, the weight of his body burning his arms. "Twenty….four!"

Jon's grip failed him right as he made it to the twenty fourth rep. He swore quietly, rolling his arm to work through the burn.

"You damn sissy." He muttered to himself. Jon wasn't about to throw in the towel after one defeat. He was going to get stronger no matter what. After all there was much more driving him than just revenge now.

"Jon...is that you?"

His heart leaped as he realized who was speaking. Jon turned to see a familiar set of golden locks and emerald eyes staring curiously at him.

"Asia?" He asked, not quite believing what his eyes were showing him.

Her eyes lit up and she covered her mouth to hold back her surprise. Tears welled up and her voice began to catch.

"I thought you were dead!" She sobbed while running into his arms.

"I should be telling you that." He replied, holding her close and doing his best not to break down. "How did you escape?"

She frowned, pulling away and wiping her face with the back of her hand. "I didn't."

He frowned at her in confusion. "But wait...then how-"

"Can we find somewhere private to talk?" She asked, cutting him off. "There's a lot I want to tell you."

He looked around for a moment, then nodded. "Right. I know just the place."

* * *

Asia and Jon walked to the park and sat by the fountain together. They didn't say much for most of the trip, mostly because they were still reeling from the shock of seeing the other person alive.

"So how is it you're here?" Jon finally asked. "I mean...the Fallen Angels…"

"I snuck out. I'm using my magic to conceal my presence from them." She explained.

Come to think of it, Jon couldn't pick up any trace of her magical aura either.

Jeez, where the hell was this ability when my powers awakened?

"Are you trying to run away? If so I'll help you."

"What? N..no." She shook her head vehemently. "No, I can't do that."

"Why not? Asia, those people are not who you-"

"I know what they are." She calmly replied, a hint of pain in her voice. "That doesn't change the fact that I have nowhere else to go. I'm sorry, Jon. But please just trust me when I say if I had any other choice, I'd take it."

He frowned, sitting quietly for a moment as he considered what to do. "Is there any way I can help?"

She smiled up at him, shaking her head gently. "Just getting to see you again has been more than enough."

He chuckled humorlessly before sighing in defeat. He hated feeling like there was nothing he could do. "It just sucks knowing I can't really do anything. I'm not used to this...I feel like I failed you that night, Asia. I'm sorry."

She gazed up at him curiously, cocking her head to the side. "Why would you think that? Jon, you're one of the strongest people I've ever known."

He stared at her thoughtfully. Finally, remembering the thing he wanted to tell her.

"You said you knew me the night Freed nearly killed us. I think I know you too…"

She turned away, flushing in embarrassment.

"You're the girl who healed me after the Hunt against Carlia. Aren't you?"

She nodded, fidgeting nervously.

"Why didn't you tell me? And how come I don't remember you from the Monastery?"

She chuckled sweetly at him, casting her eyes to the ground. "That's to be expected. I never actually talked to you that much, but I did see you a lot. I was only there for a few months before I got reassigned." Her smile glowered somewhat. "As for why I didn't tell you...well...you didn't seem to recognize me at all. I figured I must not have stood out to you enough for you to remember, so I never bothered to say anything."

He frowned thoughtfully. Somehow he doubted it would be that easy to forget a face like hers. Especially if she had been there for several months. He couldn't confirm it, but he somehow suspected that the Fallen Angels were at work here.

And that just pissed him off even more.

"Truth be told, I didn't quite recognize you at first either...you've changed a lot." She sighed in a melancholy tone. "Jon...I won't even begin to try to understand why it was you became what you are now, but...I know you're not a bad person. I saw what happened to you that night and...and I just know that you're not evil."

He swallowed back the pain of the night she was bringing up. "Tell me what you remember."

She smiled, drifting off into a happy memory. "Like I said, I spent a few months studying with the Nuns at your Monastery. I mostly kept to myself, but I would occasionally overhear the other girls talking about a boy who trained with the Priests."

He nodded, allowing her to continue.

"Well...one night, I had a terrible dream. When I woke up, I was so scared I decided to go pray in the Church. That's when I saw you for the first time. You were sitting in the courtyard playing your guitar, and you had the biggest smile on your face."

He coughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I hope my offkey singing didn't ruin your first impression of me. I was still trying to find my pitch back then."

She giggled at him. "No no, you sounded great! And honestly…" A light blush crept over her cheeks. "...just seeing you there, watching out for us while we slept, it really put my mind at ease."

He didn't have the heart to tell her the reason he did that was to get away from the nightmares.

"Anyway, I asked around and some of the girls told me where you trained. So in my downtime I would come watch you. You always looked so confident practicing, so sure of yourself. It was inspiring to see. Not to mention you were always so kind to everyone, and polite...and very handsome." Her face turned even redder as she fidgeted in place. "I wanted to talk with you so many times...but I was always too nervous. So instead I would just watch."

He nodded, listening intently to her story.

"I only had a week left at the Monastery before I was supposed to leave when...it happened." She continued, her tone becoming darker. "I was having trouble sleeping so I decided to go listen to you play…"

* * *

Asia was having trouble sleeping again. It wasn't nightmares keeping her up this time, however. She just had a lot on her mind. Namely how she only had a week left at this Monastery.

She was used to moving from place to place. That didn't bother her. But the idea of not getting to watch him anymore…

There was no sense in crying over things she had no control over. If she prayed hard enough she was certain she would see that boy again. And maybe one day even work up the courage to talk to him for longer than a few minutes. Until then, she would cherish the time she had left, starting tonight.

He was sitting were she always saw him at night. By the garden in the Church courtyard on a stone stool, his guitar in hand. Asia was happy to see he had just finished tuning it. She hadn't missed anything.

As he tested to make sure his instrument was tuned properly Asia held her breath, waiting for him to start. With a few strums he began playing an upbeat tune, a smile that simply couldn't be ignored plastered on his face.

"Never knew my old man's truck could even run like that "

"Should've known better than to take that curve so fast."

"Daddy pulled up, I was down in a ditch."

"He asked me, why I did what I did."

His tempo picked up as he reached the chorus.

"There was this girl. Drink in her hand."

"Shootin me a 'let's get into trouble' grin."

"I ain't never seen, somethin so fine."

"And I was doin' anything to make her mine."

"I was out of my mind, she was out of this world."

"There was this girl."

As usual, he was playing as if no one was watching. That's what Asia loved about listening to him so much. It wasn't just how wonderful it sounded, or how beautiful his voice was, but how he genuinely didn't seem to care about either of those things. He played for the spirit of it, and you could truly hear that in his performance.

If she closed her eyes, she could almost picture him singing to her. His gentle voice serenading her with its subtle charm. As she listened to the song, Asia wondered if she could ever be that girl he was singing about. Even just thinking about the possibility made her heart race.

Once the song was over, Jon gazed up at the stars. Asia peered at him curiously, hoping he'd play her favorite song next.

"Did you like that one?" Jon asked, peering up at the sky. "I thought it appropriate considering how I crashed your bike. I figured you of all people would get the joke."

Asia frowned softly, he'd been doing this a lot lately. Talking to his dead Mentor. She just wished there was more she could have done to save him. But by the time they had reached both men that horrible day, Father Kyle was already gone.

Jon pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "I know I promised to quit, but…" He took a long drag before blowing a puff of smoke into the air. "Like I said, as messed up as it is, these things remind me of home." He inspected his smoke thoughtfully. "And now I guess I have one more thing to remember whenever I feed my habit."

He looked back up at the sky.

"I miss you, Old Man. I really do."

Asia's heart broke. She watched as he popped the smoke back in his mouth and strummed his guitar again.

"Anyway, this next one's for you. It was the first song we ever played together after all."

He proceeded to strum out a familiar tune. Asia beamed, he was playing her favorite.

"I'm heading down south to the land of the Pines."

"I'm thumbing my way into North Caroline."

"Staring up the road, and praying to God I see headlights."

"I made it down the coast in seventeen hours."

"Picking me a bouquet of dogwood flowers."

"And I'm A-hopin for Raleigh, I can see my baby tonight."

Asia sighed contently, humming along.

"So rock me momma like a wagon wheel. Rock me momma any way you feel."

"Heeeeey, momma rock me."

"Rock me momma like the wind and the rain. Rock me momma like a southbound train."

"Heeeeey, momma rock me."

She basked in the lovely melody when suddenly he stopped. Asia frowned, opening her eyes and peeking from behind the bushes. A group of Priests were making their way over to him, and for some reason, it was making her extremely nervous.

* * *

"I followed you as you went with the Priests. I don't know why I had such a bad feeling about what they wanted." Asia turned her head down, her skin paling. "I couldn't really hear what they were saying to you but when I saw them-"

Jon placed a hand on hers, making her whole body go rigid, and causing her face to heat up.

"I'll tell you the rest…"

* * *

Jon ascended the stairs up to the altar in the Church. There, Father Belmont, now the head of the Chapter, awaited him alongside two other Priests.

"The time has come, Jonathan Hyodo." Belmont spoke in a powerful, commanding voice. "The Elder Vampire Carlia is dead, and you have succeeded in your final test."

He lowered his head solemnly. He had indeed, fulfilled his final duty and avenged both his family and his fallen mentor. But it was ultimately a hollow victory considering all he had lost along the way.

"Why do you not smile?" Belmont asked curiously. "This is a momentous occasion, my Son. For you and for the Order."

"I thought I would feel some sense of relief knowing she was finally gone." He admitted, speaking in a hushed tone. "But killing Carlia didn't bring my family back. It didn't bring Father Kyle back. Nor did it stop these creatures of darkness from hunting me in the first place." He looked up at Father Belmont hopelessly. "Will I ever know peace, Father? Am I doomed to be hunted for the rest of my life?"

"You will know peace, my Son. Sooner than you realize." An ominous look gleaned in his eye. "Much sooner."

Jon stared at him suspiciously. "What are you talking ab-HEY!"

The two priests that were with Father Belmont grabbed him and pushed him down to his knees. He approached Jon slowly, drawing a ceremonial dagger from his robes.

"The time has come." He chanted. "For your soul to ascend to heaven so that this vessel might be filled with God's divine wrath."

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Jon demanded, trying to struggle out of their vice like grips. "Father Kyle assured me I could leave once my mission was done!"

"Father Kyle was a fool!" Father Belmont responded bitterly. "A blind idiot who would let the Mark of the Dragon wander off in the hands of a child who knows nothing of its true power."

"What are you going to do?" Jon asked nervously, still trying to break free.

"Angels cannot manifest on Earth without a vessel to sustain them." Belmont explained. "You possess the Mark of the Dragon Emperor, within you is a powerful weapon able to slay Angels and Devils alike. For that reason, you have been chosen to become Archangel Michael's vessel here on Earth. As your soul ascends to Heaven above, he shall come to us in our most dire hour."

"Why are you doing this?! I've been nothing but loyal to the Order! And you would betray me?!"

"This is not a betrayal, my Son. It is mercy. The people's faith has waned, our influence is not what it once was. We need that weapon if we stand any chance against the coming darkness." He knelt down and looked the distraught nineteen year old in the eye. "Don't you understand? The mark can never be separated from you. Were you to keep it, its curse would follow you everywhere. You would never know a normal life. Anyone who got close to you would be killed. You would die as you have lived...hunted."

The finality of his words struck Jon to his core. The boy hung his head in defeat.

"You're just like them…" He whispered.

Father Belmont frowned at him angrily. "What did you say?"

"You're just like them." He whispered again, more violently this time. "All you see when you look at me is this damn mark on my arm...the only people who've ever truly cared about me are all dead."

"All the more reason you should join them in Heaven." He tried to sound assuring. "I promise you you won't feel a thing. And when it is over, you won't be alone anymore."

Jon was silent, with his head bowed it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"I understand…"

Belmont smiled at him. "You do?"

He nodded, looking up at him with dead, broken eyes. "Yes...I know exactly what I must do."

The Priest nodded at him approvingly, motioning for the other two to release him. "Then rise, my Son."

Jon stood up and closed his eyes, bracing himself for what was about to happen.

"I call upon the avatar of Archangel Michael! As Christ's blood was spilled so that we might be spared, so too shall your blood-"

His chant was cut short by Jon grabbing the dagger from his hand and slicing clean through his carotid artery. Before the other two priests could react, he finished them off. Stabbing the one to the left in the temple before tossing the dagger at the one on his right, embedding it in his eye. All three men collapsed onto the floor, their blood spilling onto the holy ground they stood upon. Defiling the only sanctuary from Darkness he had.

* * *

"After that I ran to my room and grabbed whatever I could carry. My gun, some clothes, a bit of cash. I wanted to leave before anyone noticed what I had done..." As he finished the story his face became more and more somber. "But that wasn't going to happen. I had to fight my way out.

Asia frowned at him, her eyes filled with concern. "Jon...I-"

"The thing that sucks most is that I knew them." He continued, his voice filled with pain. "I'd trained with some of those men for years. And I…"

"It's okay." She assured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to say it, I understand."

He sighed, calming back down. "Anyway, I had nothing left after that. I dedicated my life to finding some way of ridding myself of this mark." He looked down at the Dragon's Mark on his hand. "Instead I ended up like this. I can't say I understand why you joined the Fallen Angels, Asia. But I do understand how it feels to have no other place to go. I strayed from God's path because I was sick and tired of looking for answers where there were none. I've accepted that."

She nodded in understanding, sitting in silence for a moment before speaking again. "Have you ever considered that maybe this was the path God had designed for you?"

He glared at her in disbelief before bursting into a fit of laughter. "If that's true then he really does have one sick sense of humor." He snickered a little more after that, taking a breath to calm himself back down. "That sounds like wishful thinking to me. Why would he put me on a path that deliberately removed me from his grace?"

"Because he knows you're strong enough to not need it?" She offered.

They both sat in silence for a moment. With Jon quietly contemplating her words. While he was still skeptical he had to admit she had a valid point. At the very least, it was something to hope for.

"I understand how it feels…" She finally admitted, her eyes frowning despite the smile on her lips. "...to feel alone like that."

He gave her a curious look, but didn't respond.

"When I was a baby, my real parents abandoned me. They left me in front of a Church in a small town in Europe." She cast her eyes away. "They told me when they first found me I wouldn't stop crying."

"Asia…"

"The sweet Nuns brought me up." She continued. "One day, shortly after I turned eight I discovered I had the ability to heal others after praying for a sick puppy. Since then I had been taken from one Monastery to the next, using my powers to heal Hunters who had been grievously wounded by supernatural creatures." Her smile grew. "The idea that I had this gift that could be used to help others made me so happy."

"That's why you were at the Monastery I grew up in." Jon surmised. "You saved my life, Asia. I would have died if not for your magic.

She nodded, her smile fading. "Shortly after I was reassigned...I came across someone who was in bad shape. I was able to heal him but...he wasn't a man."

Jon stood up straight, his back going rigid. "You're kidding."

She shook her head. "When the Church discovered my magic could be used to heal Devils they branded me a heretic...I barely managed to escape with my life. If Raynare hadn't intervened…I'd be dead right now.

He was speechless. This girl...she was just like him. Jon had lived his whole life believing he was the only one who had been cursed like this. And yet here she was, another victim of fate sitting right beside him.

"So that's why you're with the Fallen Angels."

Asia nodded. "Yes. But no matter what, I'll never forget who I truly am. I say my prayers every day and do my best to live a good life in service to God. No matter where I am, that will never change."

"But Asia-"

"I know…" She interrupted. "They're awful. They do such cruel and terrible things...and I can't help but feel this is a test of my faith. If I can overcome these trials, someday I truly believe my hopes and dreams will come true."

"What are your dreams?"

She clutched at the silver cross around her neck. "To make lots of lifelong friends. To live a peaceful life full of love and happiness. To have people I can care for and who will care for me in return. It's kind of silly, I know." Her eyes closed, as she tried her hardest to smile. "Honestly...I'd be happy to have any friends."

His heart shattered for her. The isolation she must have felt. The loneliness. No one deserved that sort of pain. No one.

After all, he had felt that very pain himself before.

He cupped his hands over one of hers, the most sincere look imaginable in his eyes. "You have one now. So long as I'm alive, you'll always have one."

Her eyes widened and began to glass over. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Thank you." She whispered.

He returned her embrace, his eyes looking completely through his surroundings and off into nothing. "It's no trouble...no trouble at all."

After a moment she let go and stood up. "I'm afraid I have to go. They'll notice I'm gone if I stay any longer."

He frowned but nodded in understanding. "Asia…"

She turned back around. "Hmm?"

"I'm going to kill your leader." He spoke honestly. "I intend to take everything she's worked for and burn it to the ground. I just want you to know so that you can find a place to hide until the smoke clears."

Asia frowned at him, casting her gaze to the ground as she considered his words thoughtfully. "When you escaped the Monastery, we hid in the cellar. Everyone was praying for the other Hunters...but I prayed for you." She admitted, casting her gaze back at him.

"I'll be praying for you this time too, Jonathan Hyodo."

* * *

Jon returned to the ORC that evening with a heavy heart and a mind full of questions. What was he going to do now that he knew Asia wasn't leaving the Fallen Angels? If he destroyed the only home she had, where would she go next? The Peerage? He couldn't force that decision on her. Asia was a woman of God. No matter how he may feel otherwise, he had to respect that decision.

That didn't make letting her go back to that insipid Church any easier, though. What he wouldn't give just to be able to shield her from this cruel awful world and never let go. As it was, right now all he could do was focus on bringing down the woman behind all this.

He was in his room practicing his guitar when a knock at the door broke his train of thought.

"It's open."

Akeno quietly entered the room, a gentle smile on her face. "It sounds wonderful." She complimented. "So dark, and yet...so fitting."

He nodded. "I have to make sure it's exactly right...for the moment I see her again."

She frowned at him. "You know...on the day that happens, you won't have to be alone."

"I know that." He replied with a small smile. "And believe me, I appreciate the difference it makes."

She bowed to him, simply happy to have brightened his mood somewhat. "Rias is waiting for you. It sounds like something important."

Jon stood up from his seat and set down his guitar, grabbing his jacket and hat before making his way to the Chapter Room.

* * *

The President was already waiting for him behind her desk, as usual. He walked up in front of her and a chair appeared in the same spot it always did before he sat down.

"It's finally time." She began the moment he had sat down. "I'm officially letting you off the leash, Jon."

He blinked at her in confusion. "Letting me off the leash for what?"

She opened her desk and pulled a file out which she tossed to him. Jon opened the folder and fumed upon seeing its contents. Inside was a picture of Yuma, alongside the other Fallen Angels he had encountered over the last few months.

"You knew her as Yuma Amano." Rias continued. "But her true name is Raynare, and she is the head of a group of Fallen Angels that have established a presence here in the city. In that very Church you escorted Miss Asia to."

His blood began to boil as he stared down at the photograph. "When do I kill her?"

"Patience, Jon." She insisted, holding up a hand to calm him. "We have to do this the right way, or not at all. I already told you I was planning on sending you after Raynare one way or another." A small annoyed scowl formed on her features. "This woman has been harassing me for the past few months. Attacking my Demons, dissolving my influence, and generally just meddling in my affairs. She seeks to drive me out and establish herself as the new dominant presence in this region."

"So what do we do to stop her?"

She grinned wickedly at him. "We return everything she has thrown at us a hundred fold. That's where you come in."

He really liked where this was going. "Okay, just tell me what I need to do."

"That Camp you liberated was one of her sources of income." She explained. "But there were also documents there that point to others. I've been putting our hacking expert you so kindly acquired for us to work pinpointing the locations of all her underground facilities. Or should I say, all her little nests just waiting to be burned."

She didn't have to continue, he understood exactly where she was going. "So I get break all her things then? Sounds good to me."

"There's one last thing." She added with a bit more severity. "It's time the world understands your new place in it. I know I said never to go to that Church again. But knowing what we do now, I think we can use it to our advantage. You are no longer Heaven's Revolver. We need to send a message to not only Raynare, but the entirety of both Heaven and Hell, letting them know exactly what you have become."

"And how do we go about doing that?"

She grinned at him once more. "You have that song finished yet?"

* * *

The Church was quiet that day. Not many people showed up for Mass considering the relatively low number of believers in the City. Not to mention the isolated nature of the Church itself. That was fine though. Rather, that was exactly how Raynare preferred it. A nice quiet place where she and the other Fallen Angels could scheme in relative solitude. They were so close to achieving their ultimate objective. The ritual was nearly complete, and the girl was in there custody.

That didn't mean she was without reservations. Jon had managed to survive not just one, or two, but three attacks by her and her fellow Angels. Confident as she may have been in her plans, the fact that her greatest mistake was proving to be so hard to correct was making her uneasy. At the very least, she was glad she no longer had to dress like a College Student. All those floral skirts and cutesy patterns. Here, dressed in her Sunday best designer jeans and boots, she was in her element. And soon, this whole city would belong to her.

All she needed was the Sacred Gear that blonde airhead was carrying.

"So what are we planning on doing about your Ex?" Dohnaseek inquired. After the service was over, Asia had busied herself with extinguishing the candles throughout the Church while the four Fallen Angels discussed their next course of action with Freed Sellzen at the altar.

"He's already taken out my Camp." Freed commented. "And I have no doubt Big Red has acquired the dossiers I had on our other sites of influence."

"That red headed bimbo isn't a threat." The blonde girl dressed in Gothic Lolita attire spoke up in a bubbly voice. "Between Raynare and myself I bet we could take her down without so much as chipping a nail."

"Do not be so quick to underestimate our enemy, Mittelt." Dohnaseek warned. "Lest you forget what happened to your dearly departed brother."

She scowled at him horribly, placing her hands on her hips and getting right in his face. "Now why do you have to go and bring up a sore subject like that, huh?"

"Enough." Raynare demanded. "Now is not the time for this trivial nonsense. The ritual is less than a month away from being ready. Once it's complete, none of this will matter. Soon...very soon, I will have more power than that bitch Rias could ever possibly hope to acquire."

The Church doors swung open as Asia reached up to extinguish one of the candelabras at the front entrance. She turned and bowed politely to the guest who entered.

"Welcome Sir. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid Mass just ended. If you would like to-" A small gasp escaped her lips and she dropped the metal cap on the floor with an ugly clang.

All five members of Raynare's group standing at the altar turned their heads and looked at the stranger that had just wandered in.

A wicked grin crossed Raynare's lips. He had changed so much since their last meeting. Such a dark Aura that now surrounded him. And those clothes...tacky as they were, really seemed to suit his new visage. The others seemed alarmed by the fact that they weren't able to detect his presence as he approached. But she couldn't even pretend to be surprised.

Jon stared up at her, not saying a word. His guitar strapped to his back and his hands firmly in his pockets. For the longest time, neither of them moved or did anything but look at one another. Both of them regarding their past partner warily. After a few moments of standoff, Jon slowly began to approach the altar, the spurs on his boots clanging on the stone floor and reverberating off the walls. Freed slowly reached for the gun beneath his robes, his eyes taking on that look of psychotic bloodlust. Raynare raised a hand to stop him before slowly taking a seat on the stone steps that overlooked the pews.

Jon helped himself to a spot on the front row of benches before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with the tip of his finger pointing straight up. He drew from his smoke before blowing a cloud into the air, holding the cigarette between his middle and ring finger as he pulled his guitar from his back and placed it under his arm.

Raynare watched in silence, crossing one leg over the other and leaning her head in the palm of her hand, a small amused smile permanently plastered on her face as he tuned his instrument. The others glared down at him with wary scowls on there faces, save for Mittelt who seemed more curious than alarmed.

Asia's heart was pounding out of her chest. She couldn't even move from the spot for how tense the air around her felt. It was all she could do just to keep her breathing steady so as not to disrupt the mood and potentially ignite a firefight.

With his instrument properly tuned, Jon removed a black pick from his pocket and took one more drag from his smoke. He strummed a minor chord, eliciting shivers from his holy audience as the air around them chilled.

"I can hear what you're thinkin. Your heart beats in my ears."

"And if you look in my eyes, in time you'll find, the reason I'm here."

"And in time all things they...pass away. In time, he will come back some day."

"To live once more. To fight once more."

"And in time your time shall...be no more."

Jon strummed along on his guitar as he sang. The melancholy tune projecting his pain, his sorrow, his rage. Raynare listened intently, basking in its intended message. Even Asia was in a trance as he continued to play.

"Your days are numbered. Count em, one by one."

"Like notches in the handle of an outlaws gun."

"You can outrun your Maker if you try. But you cannot escape this Devil's heart of mine."

"And in time all things shall, pass away. In time, you will have, hell to pay. In time, he will come back some say."

"To live once more. To fight once more."

"And in time your time shall be no more."

The tempo of the song increased as smoke and ash began to rise from his guitar. Jon stared her dead in the eye with two demonic orbs as he strummed faster and faster, the angry chords of his intent. The fire and brimstone of his Devil's heart charring the seat around him, burning the Sacred Ground he sat upon. His fury unmatched even by the Grace that protected this Monster's Haven.

And then all stopped.

"I can hear what you're thinkin…"

With one final minor chord, his song ended. Jon placed the cigarette resting between his fingers back into his mouth and placed the pick back in his pocket.

Out of nowhere, Mittelt, who had taken a seat next to Raynare, began clapping excitedly in the empty silent chamber.

"Not now, Mittelt." Kalawarner groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger.

"What?" She shot back at her. "It was a good song!" She giggled in a bubbly voice, resting her chin against her hand and gazing back at him with lustful eyes. "You got a name, cutie? Or just a big old chip on your shoulder?"

"I have a title." He spoke calmly, his eyes never once deviating from Raynare. "If that'll do."

"Let me guess, Heaven's Revolver rides again?" Dohnaseek mused.

Jon shook his head. "Heaven's Revolver is dead. I'm the thing that took his place."

"Then who...pray tell...am I speaking to?" Raynare spoke up for the first time since he arrived, a sultry, sweet sound to her voice.

He lifted up his guitar and propped it on his knee. In the bottom left corner, signed in blood red ink read two words.

Devil's Colt.

Raynare burst into a small fit of laughter while shaking her head incredulously. "You always did have a flare for the dramatic, Jon." She considered him more thoughtfully this time. "Why are you here? Other than to bring down the mood of the room."

"I made you a promise." He continued to speak in that cold, even, tone. "I said I'd write a song that expressed how I feel about you." He shot her a slick smirk. "You should know me well enough by now to know I've always been a man of my word."

With that he stood, slung his guitar over his back, and turned to leave. No one said anything as he made his way to the door. Jon stopped about halfway back, turning toward the group one final time.

"Hope you liked it." He called out to her, a small smile on his face. The smile quickly vanished and his eyes began to glow menacingly. "I'll be singing it at your funeral."

He turned back around and headed for the door. Tipping his hat to the stunned and silent Asia in the process. As Jon left through the door, Raynare began to consider that perhaps she had not been paying nearly enough attention to her Ex-Boyfriend as she had previously thought.


	12. Chapter 12

**::Author's Note::**

**So far the story has been a success. Thank you 37 and D3V1LD09 for your comments on the writing. Five days since posting chapter one we're at nearly four thousand views overall. Simply incredible guys.**

**Today I'll be posting the remainder of Arc One. Starting now, with Chapter Twelve.**

**::End Note::**

Somewhere in the outskirts of Nome Alaska, a rundown shack stood stubbornly against the bitter arctic winds of the frozen state. Inside this tiny cabin a bar served drinks no mortal man would dare to try. For only the denizens of the Underworld served as patrons of this unholy place. The bar was much fuller than it had been in previous years. Many immortal beings had gathered to come and drink away their sorrows that night. As well as to seek shelter from the one who hunted them.

What once started as a nuisance had turned into a veritable nightmare. First their drug warehouse in Ireland. Then their prostitution ring in New Zealand. After that was their gun running operation in El Paso. And after that, their money launderers in Sweden went dark.

He had picked them off one by one. And they were all but powerless to stop him. Every patron of that bar was there to hide. To cower in fear from the shroud that had loomed over them.

Stratus was one such soul. An immortal vampire who had served Raynare faithfully for well over three hundred years. Three hundred years of service that had lead to this. The remains of their criminal network, huddled together like rats in a cage. Cold, alone, and abandoned by their Mistress.

"She's fucked us." The creature sitting next to him commented gruffly. A werewolf named Krat, once the head of their drug trafficking organization. He watched as Devil's Colt brutally picked apart each and every single one of their facilities. Leaving nothing but bodies in his wake. He hit them so fast and so hard that they never had time to organize a plan of retaliation.

Two weeks. That's all it had taken for him to undo all the hard work they had built up for themselves. Two weeks.

"She's fucked us good." He repeated, taking another swig of his brew.

"Just shut up and drink." Stratus commented bitterly. "It's all you can do at this point."

Krat slammed his meaty paws down on the table. "Am I not allowed to be angry?! She's the one he's pissed at and we're the one's paying for it!"

"She will soon have what she needs." Stratus resigned, taking a large gulp of his own brew. "Once she's acquired more power she can easily relocate somewhere else and start over. The Fallen Angels don't need us anymore."

There were nine of them left in total. Nine dark souls that remained of the criminal empire they had built together. After Devil's Colt sent his message to Raynare he proceeded to tear apart the foundations of their business at the seems. Butchering countless servants of Darkness and completely dissolving their influence throughout the world. This was all that was left, a tiny rundown shack powered by a couple of generators at the hind end of the world.

Krat hung his head low. Whatever fury he could once muster had been lost along with his men. "To Hell with them. To Hell with them both." He raised his mug into the air. "May the cat eat them and the cat be eaten by the Devil."

From the corner of the room, someone lit a cigarette. They all froze in terror.

"By the time the cat has eaten them he'll have already finished picking you lot out his teeth."

No one had even heard him come in.

Krat went for his gun but was too late. Two deafening shots rang through the small shack as Stratus felt his comrades blood splatter across the side of his face. Four more souls shot up from their seats, guns drawn. Four more souls were condemned to oblivion.

How had he found them so soon?

Jon took a long drag from his cigarette, twirling his still smoking Colt in his right hand. A sixth creature bolted for the front door, fleeing in terror. With a snap of his fingers, Jon ignited the floor in front of him, completely cutting of his escape route.

"Fuck you!" The enraged creature shouted, turning back towards his Hunter and attempting to pull out his sidearm. A seventh shot deafened the room as his head exploded into mulch. Despite his weapon of choice, Devil's Colt never seemed to run out of ammo. That was a lesson Stratus learned very quickly.

He reloaded his gun quicker than any being could hope to match. The creatures that remained threw their hands up in surrender. All save for Stratus who remained frozen in place. From below he could hear the pained cries of Krat as he writhed on the floor in unbearable agony. Mortally wounded, but not yet dead.

"Billy Krat." Jon greeted mockingly, the clanking of his boots resounding throughout the shack with every step he took. "Now where were we the last time I saw you? Oh that's right! Last I remember you had your fangs in my leg!"

Another unholy blast cut through the air as the bottom half of Krat's right leg was separated from the top half. He shrieked in agony, causing the two vampire girls sitting at the table opposite of him to scream in terror as well.

"Jonathan Heyodo! You Devil bastard!" The wolf cursed at him.

"There's no E in it, you Irish Prick." Jon calmly explained before blasting his head clean off. Stratus felt yet more bits of his friend splash him in the face, yet he still refused to move.

"Now, as for the rest of you." He snapped his fingers again, lowering the wall of fire at the entrance. "I suggest you leave before I blow this place to Hell."

Everyone stood up and bolted. Stratus moved to leave as well when he heard the sound of a Revolver cocking in his face.

"Not you, Stratus." He growled menacingly. "You're right where you belong."

Stratus slowly sat back down, taking one final chug of his drink before turning around and looking Devil's Colt in the eye. "You think this changes anything? Take out your rage on us all you want, she's the one you really want." A slight grin crept over his lip. "And once she gets her hands on the power she seeks, there's not a force on this Earth that will stop her from tearing you to pieces."

Jon pretended to mull over the idea in his head in a condescending manner. "It's a possibility I suppose. You've been in this game a lot longer than I have, Stratus. Between you and her I'm sure you've done a lot of fucked up things to a lot of people. How many people you think the two of you have killed in your lifetime? A thousand? A hundred thousand?" He took another hit off his smoke. "I dated that woman for months and most of the stuff that came out of her mouth was horseshit. But she was right about one thing."

He fired, sending a round straight through Stratus's gut and sending him to the floor. The pain was unlike anything the Elder Vampire had ever felt before. This was the pain of the last death.

Jon knelt down on one knee, staring at the suffering creature severely. "Letting me be the one that lived was easily the biggest mistake of her entire life."

"This doesn't...change...anything." He repeated in between pained gurgles of his own blood. "She'll kill you, Jonathan Hyodo. She'll kill you dead."

Jon cocked a brow down at him before standing up and removing the cigarette from his mouth. "When you get to...wherever it is yall end up when you're gone, why don't you ask your wife how things worked out for her when she last tried to kill me."

He flicked the cigarette onto the floor. Igniting the trail of gasoline he had connected to the basement, where their last remaining store of ammunition was held. With his work done, Jon left Stratus to his fate. Exiting the small shack for the last time.

The Elder Vampire lay there, choking and dying as he thought about everything that had happened in the past few months, nay, the past few years and what could have been done to prevent it.

"Carlia…" He sputtered in his final breaths. Shortly before the ammunition in the storerooms ignited and everything disappeared in a brilliant flash of light.

* * *

Asia sat patiently on the small bench in the park, waiting for Jon to arrive. Since their last meeting, they'd only managed small correspondences and the occasional letter to one another. The last letter she'd mailed asked to see him today in the spot where they first met, and though he never replied, she knew in her heart that he would show. There was so much that was on her mind. In the two months since he had delivered his message to Raynare, all she could think about was seeing him again. So despite the fact that he was now twenty minutes late, she continued to tell herself that he would show.

"Asia!"

Her face lit up as she turned to see Jon jogging over to her. She stood up and hugged him.

"I'm so happy you could make it." She beamed.

He released her long enough to look down into her eyes. "Sorry I was late. Rias had me take care of some errands for her."

She shook her head. "It's alright. I'm just glad you're here."

They spent a good deal of time talking to one another whilst taking a brisk stroll through the park. Jon asked how things had been going on her end to which she would only give him half answers and vague responses. He was worried about her, it was clear. But she couldn't afford to tell him too much. Not yet anyway.

"You've been busy these past two months, haven't you." Asia commented.

He chuckled at her. "What makes you think that?"

Her smile glowered somewhat. "Raynare has been angrier than usual. She tries her best not to show it, but I can tell you're getting to her."

He nodded, decidedly sure he didn't want to discuss that with her. A sharp pain hit his right shoulder causing him to visibly wince.

"What's wrong?" She asked with concern.

"It's nothing." He assured. "Just an injury that hasn't fully healed just yet."

She pulled him over to a nearby bench and had him sit down. There she began to use her healing aura to sooth his wounded shoulder.

Damn, she's pretty. Was all he could think as she worked on him.

"Is there anywhere else that hurts?" She asked, gazing back up into his eyes.

"Uhh, I mean my leg hurts a bit. But you don't have to-"

She was already down on the ground working on his leg before he could finish. Asia frowned thoughtfully. "This one seems particularly bad. What happened?"

"Werewolf." He explained. "Took a good chunk out of my leg. It healed up just fine but still hurts like a bitch."

She gasped in surprise. "How awful!"

He shook his head assuredly. "I'll be fine, I promise."

After all, Rias had stayed up with him damn near all night making sure that one healed up.

"I can't imagine what it must be like...hunting like that all the time." She sounded so sad when she said that. "You must have been so scared."

He frowned. "Maybe...I'm not as scared as I used to be though." He grinned at her. "Wasn't the first time somethings tried to eat me. Stupid bastards must think I taste like hamburger."

She giggled at him. "What does that taste like, anyway?"

He gawked at her. "Wait...you're not serious right now. Are you?"

She gazed up at him curiously. "I am serious. Why?"

He continued to stare in disbelief for a few moments before standing up. "Come with me."

"Okay? But where are we going?"

"To get you a damn hamburger." He insisted.

* * *

Asia stared down at the sandwich in front of her nervously. Jon had found several spots that served decent burgers in the City but this was by far his favorite one.

"Just trust me." He insisted. "I promise you'll love it."

"Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly. "It looks...awfully greasy."

"That's what makes it good." He took another large bite, wiping the ketchup out of his beard with a napkin. "Come on, you just gotta take a leap of faith here."

"Well...okay. Here it goes." She slowly picked up the burger and brought it to her lips. Her eyes glanced back at him for a moment to see if he was watching before she took a bite. The moment she did her eyes lit up.

"Oh my! It's so yummy." She exclaimed.

He chuckled at her. "What'd I tell ya?" Jon readjusted himself in the booth he was sitting in to a more comfortable position. "So not that I'm not thrilled to see you again, Asia. But why did you want to meet me? Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

Asia glanced up at him in surprise, thinking quickly about how best to answer. "Well...I mean...it just seemed like such a pretty day, and I hadn't seen you in awhile. I just thought that maybe...we could hang out?" She blushed.

He seemed genuinely surprised by her answer, but judging by his smile he was happy to hear it.

"If that's the case then why don't we go see what trouble we can get into before the day is done?"

She beamed at him. "Okay, sure!"

* * *

Rias watched from her looking glass, a small frown on her normally upbeat face. They seemed like they were having so much fun at the Arcade. She hadn't seen Jon smile like this since he was dating...well, she hadn't seen him behaving this way in awhile at least.

At that moment Akeno entered the room. "Ms. President, great news. I just received the latest reports and it would seem we've…" When she noticed Rias once again staring into her looking glass her Queen couldn't help but stifle a giggle. "Oh come on now. What could he possibly be doing that's so engrossing this...time." Her smile faded the moment she saw what Rias was watching. "You haven't told him yet, have you."

"How can I?" Rias asked, her voice tinted with pain. "After everything he's been through, finally he's smiling again. How could I possibly take that away from him?"

"If we don't warn him it will only make it worse." Akeno warned. "She cannot take refuge in the Peerage so long as she is a Holy Sister. And come light of the full moon tomorrow, the ritual will be complete." Pain gripped her heart with her next words. She hated having to say this. "If we did it...at least it would be merciful. That girl is dead either way. If we don't do it, the Fallen Angels will...and become all the more powerful in the process. You know this."

"She's just like him." Rias commented sadly. "After all these years of searching, he finally found a friend who can empathize with his struggle on every conceivable level." She clenched her fist until her knuckles turned white, snapping the pen in her hand. "I swore I would protect him from feeling that pain of loss ever again. Yet I can do nothing to stop what's to come?"

"Rias…"

She slammed her hand down on the table angrily. "What would you have me do, Akeno?! I am this close to gaining his trust! But if I go through with this then I'll lose him forever…"

Her Queen didn't respond. There was nothing she could say that would make this situation better.

"I don't like it any more than you do. But it'll only complicate things if we continue to not act." Akeno warned.

"Then things will be complicated." She decided in a stubborn tone. "I will not be the one that takes this from him. I refuse."

"Perhaps I might suggest a third option?"

Akeno and Rias turned their heads to see Kiba leaned against the doorway, a slick grin on his face.

"I've been thinking. Is it possible we're going about this the wrong way?"

Rias leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on her desk. "Go on."

* * *

Jon and Asia spent a wonderful day together at the arcade. Seeing her reactions to all the games was simply adorable and Jon treasured every moment he could brighten her face. After a few hours of showing her around, at one point watching her fail miserably at a racing game, they both made their way towards the exit. It was then that something caught her eye, a section of the arcade they had missed. Asia scampered over to a crane machine and peered through the glass at the row of yellow and black mouselike plushies inside.

He walked over to see what she was looking at and chuckled. "So you like stuffed animals, huh?"

She squeaked upon realizing he was watching, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Oh! No, not at all! I mean...maybe sort of." She glanced up at him with big doe eyes before looking down at the floor pitifully. "Yes…"

He walked over to the machine and inserted some money, starting the game up. "I'm sort of outing myself as a big nerd here, but I have spent probably over a thousand hours playing these things."

She watched on curiously as he expertly extracted one of the stuffed animals with the claw and dropped it in the bin. Asia clapped excitedly, giggling like a schoolgirl as he plucked the prize and offered it to her.

"Thanks for winning this little guy for me." She beamed at him like a ray of sunshine. "Whenever I look at him I'll think of you...and what a blessing it has been to get to be with you."

For just the briefest moment, Jon could have sworn he was staring at Yuma holding her purple stuffed bunny at the Fair.

"Come on…" He motioned with his head for her to follow him, a lot on his mind. "...let's go walk around some more." With his head clouded, his heightened senses didn't pick up Asia's next words.

"Thank you…" She clutched at the little stuffed animal he had won her. "...this really is special. Even if it is just for today."

* * *

After the arcade, Jon decided to show Asia around his campus. The whole time she held her new stuffed animal close to her chest.

"I'll be honest, I can't remember the last time I had this much fun." She declared excitedly.

"Me neither." He admitted.

"At least you have your work." She offered, her smile fading somewhat. "You seem to enjoy that."

"It's not the same thing. When I'm Hunting, it's a rush. Your blood is pumping and the adrenaline is coursing through you. It's exciting in the moment…" He stopped walking. "...but then when you come down from that high and see what's been left in your wake…"

She wrapped her hand around his and pulled herself closer to him. "Hey...it's okay. I understand."

He nodded, finding comfort in her presence.

"For what it's worth, I think you're incredibly brave." She cast her eyes away in embarrassment. "I could never do the kind of things you do."

Jon gazed down at her affectionately. "That's probably the first time someone's ever said that to me."

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment until Asia's face began to heat up like a thermometer. The redness seemingly beginning at the bottom and rising to the top until she was completely scarlet. She quickly squirmed away and began fanning herself furiously.

"W-w-wow! I-is it just me or did it suddenly get hot out here." She laughed nervously, desperately trying to get her color back to normal.

He adjusted the brim of his hat, trying to hide the stupid grin he had on his face. "The sun's going down. We should probably call it a day, as much as I hate to say it."

"Jon…" Her demeanor seemed to change, she was suddenly frowning again. "...can I make a selfish request?"

"Hmm? Of course."

"Could I…" She swallowed back her nerves, fidgeting in place nervously. "...could I stay with you tonight? I really don't want to go back to the Church."

That one caught him off guard. "Are you sure? If they find out your gone…"

"They won't." She assured vehemently. "They have too much on their plate right now to worry about me. I promise."

He was suddenly getting flustered. Why was this so embarrassing? He had had women over to his place hundreds of times, it wasn't a big deal. "I mean...I can't take you back to the ORC but we could probably rent a hotel or something."

"Really?!" She beamed at him.

Holy shit, did I seriously just suggest that?! Fuck! Well you're in too deep now, Jon. Commit!

"Yeah really. I just need to run it by Rias first." He whipped out his phone and punched in her number. Boy was this going to be an awkward conversation.

"Hey, it's Jon. Listen, I won't be making it back to the house tonight. I just wanted to-"

"I know a good place. I'll text you the address. Just show up and give them my name. They'll show you to your room."

He stared down at his phone in the weirdest way before talking again. "Were you...listening to us this whole time?"

"There's no need to thank me." She calmly replied. "You two kids enjoy yourself."

"Hold on now. Don't get the wrong idea."

She hung up. Jon stared at his phone again completely flabbergasted. How much time did she spend a day watching him through that damn mirror?

"Everything okay?" Asia asked.

"Yeah...yeah I guess so." He replied awkwardly. "So uhh...I've got good news."

* * *

The Hotel Rias had suggested turned out to be incredibly ritzy. The sort of place one might expect to casually bump into a celebrity whilst spending thousands of dollars on brunch. But the moment he mentioned Rias's name to the bellhop up front, it became clear why she had suggested the Hotel in the first place. Turns out, the owner had made a Pact with her some time ago.

"Lady Gremory called ahead and let us know you were coming." The bellboy explained as they ascended the elevator up to their room. "She had us assign you one of our best rooms in the Hotel."

"That's so nice of her." Asia commented. "But she didn't have to go through all that trouble."

It was strange, Jon thought, just how eager she was to help Asia considering she was, technically speaking, working for the Fallen Angels. But he learned a long time ago never to look a gift horse in the mouth. Once they were out of the elevator, the bellhop guided them both down the hallway towards the room at the very back. Immediately all sorts of warning lights began flashing off and on in Jon's head.

"Here we are." The bellhop offered, inserting the keycard and opening the door for them.

Jon and Asia stepped inside and looked around. Within seconds, Jon confirmed his worst fears had been realized. Rias had set him up.

I'm going...to fucking...kill her.

It was a romantic suite. Complete with gaudy red interior and lacy heart pillows everywhere. Jon was picturing that redheaded deviant curled up in her room right now with her mirror and a bag of popcorn, snickering like the criminal mastermind she probably saw herself as.

Asia was, of course, frozen in place like a deer in headlights. That poor girl had probably never so much as set foot in a nightclub, let alone this.

"It's very...red." She finally stammered, clutching at her stuffed animal for comfort.

"Asia, I am so sorry." Jon was mortified. "I don't know what's going through my Boss's head right now, but I assure you I'll give her a piece of my mind after we-"

"Jon, it's okay." Asia assured quietly, still clearly very uncomfortable but doing her best not to show it. "I...kinda like it."

He glanced back at her in disbelief. "Asia, no. I'm not making you stay here, and I sure as hell am not gonna play along with Rias's crazy little peepshow."

"I'm fine. Seriously." She insisted, setting the stuffed animal down on the couch before inspecting the room again. "It's a bit gaudy, sure. But it also looks quite cozy." Asia ran one of her slender fingers along the velvet comforter on the bed. "I've never slept in a bed this soft before."

He groaned, rubbing his temples with his thumb and middle finger before finally surrendering. "I'll get the lights."

Jon reached for a switch on the wall and flipped it. A group of purple and red strobe lights switched on and the walls began to pump Never Be the Same, by Camila Cabello into the room. He was half surprised there wasn't a disco ball. Jon quickly flipped the switch off again.

"Yeah, yeah no. We're not…" He sighed, shaking his head in embarrassment. "We're not doing that…guess we'll be stuck in the dark for awhile."

Asia began searching through the drawers near the bed and located a source of light.

"There are candles in here." She pulled out a bundle of red and white candles. "Maybe we could use these?"

"It's better than nothing." He took the candles from her and proceeded to spread them throughout the room. Lighting each one with his fingertip as he did so.

While he busied himself with the candles, Asia continued to search through the drawers. Inside, she found a set of flannel pajama pants that appeared to be in Jon's size. As well as a white nighty with a silk overlay. Searching further in, Asia pulled out something she had never seen before. It looked to be some sort of underwear but it was decked out in intricate little floral patterns and appeared to be almost completely see through.

Her cheeks flared. "What...are these?"

"Whatcha looking at over there?" Jon asked from the other side of the room.

"Eeep!" Asia quickly buried the scandalous undergarments back into the dresser, keeping her scarlet face turned away. "Nothing! Nothing at all!" She laughed nervously.

He cocked a brow at her but otherwise didn't comment. "I was thinking about taking a shower. Did you want to use it before me?"

"That's sweet of you, but no." She assured, smiling at him politely. "Go right ahead. I found some comfier clothes for us in the drawer when you're out."

He nodded, taking off his jacket and hat before heading for the bathroom. Jon hesitantly reached for the switch and flipped it, breathing a sigh of relief that he didn't hear Rihanna start singing in the shower.

Jon left the door cracked while he got undressed and hopped in. "What kind of clothes did she leave us?"

"Looks like just pajamas." She lied. "Some pants for you. They look like your size but I don't see a shirt."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't." He called back. "What about you?"

"Mine seem to be in my size also. Though I have no idea how she got my measurements."

"Doesn't surprise me." He retorted, rinsing himself off. "She puts way too much time and energy into this sort of thing."

As Jon cleaned himself off Asia couldn't help but glance over at the cracked door. Her little heart started racing out of her chest the more she thought about the man behind it. Naive as she was, part of her knew where this was leading. And she'd have been lying to herself if she said it wasn't what she had secretly wanted. Buried beneath her desires for a friend and an end to her perpetual loneliness was a longing she had never told anyone about. The one she had tried to hide from even herself.

The fact that she was madly in love with that man.

Barely a month at the Monastery and already she had fallen for him. The way her heart would beat faster whenever he was near. How she could barely bring herself to look him in the eye. How her every waking moment was consumed by thoughts of the man they called Heaven's Revolver. What else could it have possibly been but love?

She tried so hard to resist. Asia was a Nun. A woman promised to God. How desperately she fought against her temptations, when all she wanted was to touch him. To hold him, and be held in return. How many nights had she stayed awake? Crying shameful tears even as her hand slid to that sinful flower between her legs?

Seeing him again...after all these years. It was like all those feelings came rushing back. She couldn't help but feel that God was giving her a sign. Here they were, together, with not a soul who might interrupt them. All for one night.

And only one night.

This was her one chance. The Universe was pushing her in this direction. But was this God's will? Or temptation by the Devil? Jon wasn't the man he once was. By the teachings of her faith he didn't even qualify as a man anymore. Asia prayed for the answer, searching the deepest recesses of her soul for a sign. But it was always the same. Try as she might, whenever she peered into her heart, she only saw him staring right back.

With her mind made up, Asia grabbed her pajamas to change into...along with the underwear she found beneath.

* * *

Jon exited the shower and dried off, wrapping a towel around his waist before reentering the bedroom. By the time he was out, Asia had already changed into her nighty and sat down on the couch. The outfit she wore was complete with a blue ribbon at the collar and was utterly adorable. In addition she also appeared to be wearing white silk stockings. Through the pajamas, Jon could see her figure much clearer. Her frame was lithe yet curved in all the right places and her bust was far larger than he had anticipated, considering how little he could see through her robes.

Asia seemed nervous as he walked back out. She was barely making eye contact with him and kept fidgeting even more than usual, constantly pulling at the hem of her gown.

"Everything alright?" He asked, walking behind her to the dresser.

"Of...of course." She stammered nervously.

No, everything was certainly not alright. She felt completely out of her depth. What had possessed her to attempt this? In what universe could she have possibly thought a guy like him would be even remotely interested in someone like her? Rias and those other girls in his Peerage were all so beautiful, in addition to being insanely powerful. How could she ever hope to compete with that?

The fact that this was the first time she was seeing him without clothes didn't help. Sure he had a towel on but Asia had never seen so much as a man's lower neck before, let alone...this.

She was looking at a man's body for the first time in her life. And not just any man, but Jon's. What she had pictured in her mind during those nights she gave in to her more base desires were nothing compared to the actual truth of his figure. It was as if he had been chiseled from stone, his body marked with the scars of his past ordeals. His most recent one being the large diagonal mark on his back that Freed had given him when they last fought. To imagine that all his scars held similar stories was unthinkable. How many ordeals had he been through?

It was beyond overwhelming, coupled with the fact that…that…

Oh dear God, is he dropping his towel?!

She quickly cast her eyes away, her heart skipping in her chest as she stared down at her lap.

"You didn't happen to see a pair of boxers to go with these pants did you?" He asked, seemingly less than bothered by his own nudeness.

"No. Not that I know of." She replied quickly, her eyes never once leaving her lap.

He shrugged. "Whatever then, I'll just go without."

He's going to do what?!

As Jon slipped the pajama pants over his naked body, Asia was beginning to have second thoughts. She had no earthly idea what she was doing. Living a life of pious worship meant she knew nothing about being with a man. Much less how to please him. But as reluctant as she was, Asia just couldn't bring herself to give up. Not when she knew this would be her only chance.

Once he was dressed (Or more dressed, as it were.) Jon sat next to her on the couch, resting one of his tree trunk like arms over the back of the seat while he flipped through different TV stations with his other hand. He seemed to be keeping a respectable distance from her. Playing the gentleman, as always. That didn't change the fact he was shirtless and with no boxers on while his pajama pants left nothing to the imagination.

She was terrified. He was right there, and obviously was doing his best not to make her uncomfortable, which meant that if anything was going to happen she would have to be the one to engage. But what should she do? Asia was clueless here. Should she just tell him how she felt? Or would that scare him off? The idea of him rejecting her and then leaving was too terrifying to consider doing that, so what then?

It was then she remembered something one of the Elder Nuns told her. About how the greatest expression of love there is in this world is touch. It was Christ who touched the sick and healed them. Perhaps it was touch that could bring her closer to him.

So that was it? All she had to do was just...touch him? But where? On his arm, maybe? Would that be enough to convey how she felt? Asia reached out with her left hand gingerly. She could feel the warmth of his skin radiating off of him like the heat of the sun. She reached out to him and…

And she couldn't do it. Her nerves gave out moments before she actually made contact.

"I'm pretty tired, I think I'll go to bed." She told him in a puny voice. "Goodnight."

She quickly got up and scurried over to the bed.

"Asia…" He stood up.

She stopped dead in her tracks. Somehow she could feel his eyes on the back of her neck before even turning around.

"Yes?"

"I know you're hiding something from me." He calmly explained. "I can hear your heart bouncing around like a gerbil off a wall from over here."

Her breath hitched in her throat.

"Now is there something you need to tell me, or not?"

A small smile spread across her lips. "It's always like that."

He gave her a curious look. "Huh?"

"Whenever I'm around you." She turned around trying desperately to meet his gaze and failing, her hands pressed tightly to her chest. "My heart is always like that."

He was stunned in place. "Asia...what are you saying?"

"I wasn't just nervous…" She continued. "...all those years ago. I couldn't talk to you because...because…"

"It's okay." He assured, swallowing back his own nerves. "Just say it."

She took a deep breath. "Because every time you were near me my heart would beat so fast I thought I might faint. Any time I heard you speak, my legs turned to jelly and I could barely stand. Jon, I wasn't just lonely all those years ago. I was a girl in love! And now…"

She braced herself for what she was about to do. It wouldn't be enough to just tell him, she needed to show him. With slow deliberate movements Asia pulled her nighty over her head and tossed it on the ground.

"...now I'm a woman in love."

He felt like he might have had something slick to say in response. Some charming reply to offer back. Yes, he might have had some witty retort...had it not been for his brain being turned to mush.

Asia was wearing a white lace bralette and matching panties. The lingerie was practically see through and yet looked so elegant against her pale white skin. The panties were connected via two garters to the stockings on her legs.

All she was missing was her white wings and halo.

"Well?" She asked, wrapping her arms around herself uncomfortably. She had never worn something like this before, never felt this exposed before. "Do you like it?"

A shame his brain had short circuited so badly and was still trying to reboot. Because all she really got in return was a small nod of the head.

Her cheeks burned and she turned her head away. "Well say something." She pleaded. "It's embarrassing to have you just stare at me."

"Asia I…" Finally he managed to regain his senses, shaking the cobwebs loose before speaking. "I'm not sure what to say. I wish I could give you all the answers to the questions I see in your eyes right now but…" He turned away shamefully. "I've been through Hell, Asia. The last woman who said something like that to me-"

"I know." She insisted, taking a bold step forward. "I know about everything that Raynare did to you."

He clutched at the scar on his sternum. "Then you should know I can't trust anything you say. Not completely. No matter how badly I might want to, this new heart of mine wont let me."

She had been expecting that answer. But it still stung all the same. Yet Asia was determined. Even if he rejected her she'd still make sure he knew everything. "I understand, Jon, and I don't care. I'm not asking you to marry me. I'm not even asking you to be my boyfriend. All I want is this night." Her eyes were glassed over with tears on the verge of falling. With one dainty little hand resting on the sofa she clutched the other to her heart. "Just this night. One night where there's just you and me. You've given me so much today Jon, more than I could have possibly ever hoped. So I want to give you this in return."

She took his hand in hers and pressed it to her chest. Letting him feel her pounding heart.

"Even if I never see you again after tonight. I want you to have my first time. I want you to have this little part of me that you can hold onto forever."

He opened his mouth several times to speak but no words came out.

"Please…" She was looking up at him so helplessly, so lost. "...please just say something to me, Jon."

As he desperately tried to get ahold of his thoughts he carefully considered everything she had just confessed. After a few seconds of thought he eased up to her, a hair's breadth from her face. Jon placed one hand on her waist and with the other he caressed her cheek.

"Are you sure?" He asked sincerely.

She sighed contently into his touch, closing her eyes and placing her hand over his. "I've never wanted anything more in my life. Jon, I made a promise to God and to myself that I would live the best life that I could. Right now, for me, that means giving to you the one thing I promised never to give to any man."

She looked up at him one more time with those innocent shining emerald eyes. "Please Jon, I want this. I want you."

With a slight nod of his head he pulled her in by the waist. A small surprised gasp escaped her lips as her body pressed up against his chest.

"Well alright then."

He pressed his lips to hers and she completely melted into him. After a moment, she was lost. Completely surrendering to the Devil she loved.

* * *

They spent the first hour on the couch, with the Blonde Beauty straddling her man's lap with her lips pressed to his and her arms wrapped lightly around his neck. Neither of them stripping what little garments they had left, not yet at least. There was no need to rush things. They both wanted to savor this feeling for as long as they could make it last. For Asia, it was the feeling of Jon's strong arms around her waist and the solid muscle pressed against her belly and chest. For Jon, he relished in the feeling of her soft lips against his, the sweet scent of her fragrant shampoo, and the delightful moans that escaped her lips in between each breath. But as euphoric as their first joining was, it wasn't nearly enough to satisfy either of them. Jon's erection demanded his attention, and judging by the damp spot forming on Asia's panties, so did she.

"Are you ready?" He asked her gently, his thumb swirling around her cheek as he caressed it in his palm.

She breathed in sharply, her heart beginning to race in her chest again. He could see just how nervous she was. Not surprising considering Asia had never been with a man before. She bit her lower lip, contemplating if she was truly ready to do this before finally nodding at him.

"Y...yes. I'm ready." She replied timidly. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" He asked insistently.

She responded by kissing him fiercely, to which he readily accepted her yet again before she pulled away. "Jon, I won't lie to you. I'm terrified. Not just because this goes against every vow I made. But because I've only ever pictured this moment in my dreams, I never once believed it would become a reality." She sighed, her eyes seeming lost as they peered back into his. "Now that I have this moment, I'm at a loss as to what I should do next. But...I do want it. More than anything."

With that he gripped her waist tighter and picked her up while she clung to him, her thighs wrapping around his torso for support.

"Just…" She trembled in his grasp. "...just promise me you'll be gentle. At least to start."

He nodded assuredly. "Of course."

The two lovers kissed as he carried Asia to the bed and sat her down at its edge. Now standing over her, Asia was staring up at him searchingly, nervous beyond belief and unsure as to what she should do next.

"Do I...undress?" She asked shakily, her face turning scarlet at the idea.

Jon smirked at her. "How about we start with you undressing me?"

She squeaked in surprise and turned her head away. "B...but...but I don't know…"

He very gently guided her gaze back to him, tilting her chin upwards with the knuckle of his index finger. She became transfixed once more.

"I'll help you." He quietly offered, taking her wrists in his grasp and guiding them up to the hem of his pajama pants. "But if I move too fast, you just let me know."

She gulped back her hesitation and nodded, giving him her consent to continue. Guiding her hands, his pants slowly fell past his waist, before suddenly dropping down around his ankles. Something bopped Asia in the nose and when she realized what it was she squeaked and immediately turned her gaze away again.

"It's okay." He assured while stroking her hair reassuringly. "Don't be afraid."

She slowly shifted her gaze back towards him. For a moment, Asia just stared at it with her hands cupped over her mouth. She'd learned about this in Anatomy Lessons at the Monastery, but she had never seen a man's...thing…before with her own two eyes. But this wasn't just any man's 'thing' this was Jon's 'thing'. Though she only had anatomy pictures to compare to, she somehow doubted heavily that Jon was a typical example of his sex. To use a phrase she had overheard two girls in the city using, Jon appeared to be...abnormally healthy for a man.

'This thing is supposed to go inside me?' Asia was trying to wrap her head around that idea. Tried to picture Raynare or any of the other women she suspected he had slept with taking this thing...inside of them...but she just couldn't see it. Wouldn't it hurt? Or was there more to it she didn't yet understand. Asia was so clueless and so nervous about this. But she trusted Jon more than any other man she'd ever known. She was sure he wouldn't hurt her.

"May I...may I touch it?" She asked sheepishly.

He chuckled. "Of course."

She slowly reached out with her little hand and placed her palm flat against the underside of his shaft. It was warmer to the touch than she had imagined it would be, and far more solid. Jon wasn't just big, he was incredibly thick. Further adding to her anxiety regarding him...putting it in her. Something she was still trying to wrap her head around.

As she timidly ran her hand along his shaft he suddenly groaned causing her to jerk back in surprise. "Did...did I do something wrong?"

"No." He assured with a shake of his head. "You can keep going if you want."

For a few minutes, Asia simply...played with it. Running it through the palms of her hands, just getting herself accustomed to holding it. Truthfully, she felt a little silly. It was clear Asia didn't have a clue what she was doing but Jon continued to be so incredibly understanding and patient with her that she felt comfortable enough continuing regardless. Finally, with a small smile, she let him go.

"Okay...I think I'm ready to continue." She spoke earnestly. Did people say that during sex? Probably not. But Jon didn't seem to mind. If anything, he just seemed eager to continue.

"Lay back, Asia." He gently requested.

Asia did as instructed and slowly laid down on her back, clutching her chest nervously, her golden locks cascading along the bed in disheveled tresses. Jon laid himself next to her, still hovering over her with his imposing six foot four frame.

"Will you move your hands for me?" He asked patiently.

She slowly placed her hands at her sides and gripped the comforter tightly. Jon could hear her heart pounding out of her chest as he slowly unclasped the two shoulder straps of her bra. She felt pitiful remembering how much she struggled to get the darn thing on considering how easy Jon was able to get it off. Then again, he'd probably done this many times whereas she had never worn something like this in her life.

Finally, he unclasped the hook that held the two cups together in the front. As her naked breasts popped out of their covering she stifled a small indignant noise and shut her eyes tight, her face turning a deep red once more. The look on Jon's face as he admired her body, coupled with the fact that no man had ever seen this much of her naked flesh before, was almost too much for her to bare all at once.

"Are you okay?" He asked again. "Do we need to stop?"

And just like that her fears ebbed once more. She smiled up at him despite how flushed her face still was before shaking her head. "No, I trust you Jon. Please keep going."

"In that case, I'm going to do something I think you'll like. Okay?"

She nodded in understanding. "Okay."

Jon lowered himself down to her and kissed her lips before slowly kissing down her cheek, then her neck, and then finally kissing the swell of her beasts. She moaned softly as he kissed her. His lips were so gentle despite how course his beard felt. Asia let out a small startled noise, however, as his mouth suddenly latched onto her right nipple and began to suck. Now it was an entirely different sensation she was feeling. Try as she might, Asia couldn't help but wiggle and squirm, trying desperately to stifle the indignant noises escaping from her lips. She squealed as he suddenly brought his hand to her other breast and began to massage it in his palm, his fingers rolling her other nipple gently until it hardened like a small pearl.

"How does that feel?" He whispered into her ear before lapping at her nipple with his tongue.

"It's...I...Oh…" She was experiencing sensations she'd never felt before. Asia had never considered how playing with her breasts could heighten the experience. It was like Jon understood her body and how it would respond better than she did. Then again, given how little she understood this sort of thing, he probably did.

For a moment, she began to lose herself. Relishing in the feeling of Jon's skillful tongue and fingers against her breasts. She barely even noticed as his hand slowly slid down her belly and began circling her navel. The moment she felt his hand slide further down and his fingers press against her underwear, however, she immediately shot back to reality. Her eyes bulged and she quickly grasped his wrist with both hands.

"Wait!" She pleaded.

"I'm sorry." He immediately replied. "Do you want to stop?"

"N...no…" She replied hesitantly.

"Are you sure?" He insisted.

"Yes I'm sure." She replied. "It's just...no one else has ever touched me down there before. It's...a little embarrassing."

He smiled at her in understanding. "You've never done this sort of thing before. It's understandable you'd be nervous. But you do still trust me right?"

"Of course!" She assured as if that should be obvious. "It's just…" With a deep breath, she sighed. "...okay. Okay, I'm ready. Keep going."

With her consent returned to him he kissed her lips and then whispered into her ear. "Try to relax. I promise you're going to like this."

She slowly shut her eyes and did her best to relax. Allowing Jon to completely take over. His fingers found her soaking wet panties yet again and she began to wiggle and squirm at his touch even more than before. The small erotic noises that came out of her mouth felt so horribly inappropriate yet she couldn't help herself. His lips found her neck again, only fueling the burning throb in her forbidden place as she moaned louder still.

"I'm going to go further now. Okay?" He gently whispered.

Asia bit down on her lower lip and nodded, shutting her eyes even tighter and gripping the comforter for support as his hand slid down her underwear and touched her glistening folds directly. She was already soaked, not that Asia was truly aware of it. Her head was swimming in ways she'd never known before as his fingers slowly circled and rubbed at her little clit. This was nothing like when she would touch herself in private.

Without warning, she felt something go past her clit and enter her.

"Hyah!" Asia quickly clasped a hand over her mouth, her eyes going wide with shock as she tried to process what she just felt.

"Still okay?" Jon asked, ever mindful of her boundaries.

Her breathing quickened. She was still trying to process this new feeling. Jon's fingers weren't just on her forbidden place anymore. They were inside her now. Delving into places she had never dared to explore on her own.

With a hand still clasped over her mouth she nodded her head, silently permitting him to continue. His fingers moved slowly at first though they quickly picked up speed. His thumb was still running over her clit as his fingers delved into the forbidden place that no one, not even her, had touched before. Asia clasped her other hand over her mouth and shut her eyes tight. Her mind was going blank. How was he doing this? Why did it feel so much better than when she did it? So many questions swam through her addled mind.

Upon which they all vanished as her body lurched up and she quickly grasped the comforter again, an indignant shout escaping her lips as she was suddenly hit with a wave of pleasure even more intense than what she had felt before. Jon's fingers had hit...something...inside of her. She had no idea what but she felt it the moment it happened. Then he touched it again. And again. Reaching deeper into her to graze that one spot that made her whole mind go blank and noises come out of her mouth she would have never dared utter before now.

He chuckled in amusement. "Ah, there it is."

There what was? What was he talking about? What was his finger touching that made her whole body jolt with pleasure? Her mind was racing at a mile a minute as she desperately tried to process this completely alien and totally unexpected sensation. But she couldn't. Any and all sense had washed away. Her body had given itself over completely to his touch. Her hips bucked upwards to him and her thighs spread. The one thing she did know, was that she didn't want him to stop.

"Jon! Jon! I can't! This is-I'm-you're." Her words were cut short.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

She screamed as a wave of euphoria the likes of which she had never felt before in her life came washing over her like a wave crashing against the shoreline. Asia's entire body went rigid as she sprayed something warm and wet against her already soaked panties, riding the euphoric wave all the way to its end as her body finally came down from the high.

She panted heavily, her brain having gone numb to everything and her body now slick with sweat.

"Wh...what was that?" She asked shakily, her breath ragged and her voice slightly horse.

He kissed her on the neck and whispered in her ear. "That was an orgasm you just felt. Not bad, huh?"

"But…" Her brain raced to catch up to the feeling between her legs. That was an orgasm? She'd felt something like this before, whenever she would play with herself, but it was never this intense. As she came back to her senses Asia suddenly became very aware of the wetness dribbling down her thighs. A horrifying thought occurred to her. Did she just wet the bed?

She quickly clamped her legs shut and covered her face with her hands. "Don't look!"

Jon stared down at her in confusion. "Why not?"

"Don't look!" She repeated, her voice sounding mortified as she shook her head over and over again. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done that!"

"Done what?" He asked. "All you did was squirt a little."

She slowly moved her hands away from her face. "I what?"

"You squirted." He explained. "It sometimes happens to women who have an especially powerful orgasm. At least...that's how it was always explained to me." He admitted awkwardly.

"So I didn't just...wet the bed?" She asked shamefully.

He shook his head vehemently. "No. You didn't."

She sighed in relief, though her face was still red in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I've never felt anything like that before. I wasn't sure-"

He cut her off by kissing her lips passionately. She surrendered to him again, losing herself in the moment. Finally, after having a chance to calm down, she stared up at him with two loving emerald eyes.

"Jon...I think I'm ready."

He nodded in understanding. "You sure?"

"Yes...I want it." She bit her lower lip. "More than anything, I want it."

* * *

Jon had re-positioned Asia so that her head was resting against the pillows. He'd removed her thoroughly soaked panties and tossed them aside, her naked body now laid completely bare before him. God she was beautiful, he thought to himself. Her snow white skin glowing in the dim light of the moon. Her emerald eyes sparkling like two gemstones as she stared up at him with a longing that was still so foreign to her. He needed to be careful. It would be so easy to lose himself in the moment and get careless. But he wouldn't let that happen. The last thing he wanted to do was inadvertently hurt her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

She responded by timidly opening her legs up for him. Completely exposing herself. "I've never been more certain of anything, Jon."

Jon lowered himself down onto Asia and kissed her tenderly. "I'm going to be as gentle as possible. But I won't lie...this is probably still gonna hurt."

She nodded in understanding, doing her best not to look as nervous as she felt. "Just tell me what I need to do."

"Just try to relax as best you can." He requested. "And just let me know if you need me to stop."

It meant the world to her that he was still so concerned about her well being. But she was determined to see this through to the very end. She wanted Jon to be her first time and last time. No matter what.

"Just, be sure to hold me while you do it." She pleaded to which he responded with another kiss.

Jon slowly worked his member towards her entrance. She could feel his hard length pressing against her opening and she immediately tensed up grabbing hold if his neck and refusing to let go.

"Relax." Jon spoke to her softly, caressing the poor girls cheek while he slowly pushed his way in. She gripped him tighter as his length slowly began to fill her up.

"Are you...are you in?" She asked, her glistening flower already feeling ready to burst.

"Actually...that's just my head." He admitted with a slightly concerned expression.

There was no way. If she felt this full already when he had just barely started, there was no way she was going to be able to take his full length. Nevertheless, it didn't stop her. Instead, Asia bit on her lower lip, gripped him tighter and whispered in his ear.

"Keep going."

A sharp stabbing pain followed that Asia was not fully prepared for. Her whole body seized and she cried in pain as something warm trickled down her legs and onto the bed. This time she knew exactly what it was. Her virgin blood had just soiled the sheets. Asia's whole body trembled as he slowly pushed his way in, inch by inch, her walls stretching well beyond the boundaries of what was comfortable for her.

"How are you holding up?" He asked her, a hint of concern in his voice.

She was breathing in short shallow bursts. "I think...I think you should just do it...push the rest of the way in."

He frowned at her. "Are you sure?"

No, she really wasn't. But as it stood Jon was only about halfway in and the pain was already unbearable. Maybe if she just got it over with, it would get better. She desperately wanted to move past the pain and enjoy the feeling. To connect with Jon on the deepest level possible.

"Just kiss me when you do it." She smiled up at him despite the pain she was in. "Kiss me, and I'll always be fine."

With that he pressed his lips to hers. They braced against each other, and he plunged. A high pitched scream reverberated down his throat as Asia's entire body revolted against her. It was even worse than she had imagined it would be.

"Are you okay?"

She took a moment to breathe as tears continued to leak down her face. Once she was calm enough and the pain had finally ebbed away into a dull throb she smiled weakly at him and nodded.

"I'm fine…" She assured, her eyes welling up with joy. "I'm just fine."

* * *

The sweet moans and cries that were coming through Rias's mirror sent rivets of envy coursing through her entire frame. The way Asia's body moved to accept him. How she screamed and clung to him when he first entered her, as a momentary feeling of unbearable pain became the most intense feeling of pleasure she had likely ever felt in her life.

"I just can't get over his thighs." Akeno was glued to the mirror, leaning so close to Rias the redhead could hear how excited her Queen Piece was getting. "How many squats do you think he can do in a single set, Rias? Rias?"

She shut off her looking glass, much to Akeno's disappointment.

"Why'd you turn it off? We just got to the good part." She pouted.

"We saw them consummate the union." Rias explained flatly, sitting up from her desk and heading for the showers. "That's all that needed to be done. Give them their privacy."

Akeno frowned at her as she walked away. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes...I'm just fine." She lied.

"Was this not what you wanted? This way, the girl can be spared. Doesn't that make you happy?"

Rias didn't reply. Instead, she silently walked to the showers to be alone with her thoughts. Akeno's heart was in the right place, but she couldn't possibly understand what her President was going through right now. That girl was getting to have her first time with the man she loved. Rias would have given anything for that. As it stood, she had to settle for imagining it.

The President of the ORC stripped down and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water completely soak her skin before pressing her back against the tile wall. She could still picture Asia's face in her mind as Jon entered her, could almost feel the same euphoria she undoubtedly felt. All she needed to do was place herself there, where Asia was right now, to truly relish in the dream. As her mind wandered, she imagined Jon's breath against her ear, his hardened body pressed against hers. She imagined what it must be like to have her arms wrapped around his neck, holding onto him for dear life as he did things to her she'd never felt before.

It didn't take long for her hand to slide down to her heat, even less time for her to cum. Rias was in a haze. So unsure of what to do and yet so certain that nothing could be done. How long had she dreamed of the man in that mirror? How long had she quietly admired from afar as Heaven's Revolver grew into a man unlike any she had ever known before? It was something she and the Nun had in common.

Asia had dreams of this man...and so too did Rias.

Every smile, every victory, every song. He would speak, and her heart would cut into a thousand beautiful pieces. The joyous pain a simple glance her way would bring her hurt so deep and yet warmed her all the same. But she could never admit that it was love. Never. To do so would only weaken her for what was to come. So she settled for the next best thing. If she could not love him, then she would own him. She would take possession of his soul and guard it with her life. Rias gave him a heart, but it wasn't hers. It would never be hers.

She was promised to someone else. And nothing could change that, no matter how badly she might have wished otherwise.

* * *

Asia was in heaven, of that she was certain. If she had one wish in this cold uncaring world it was to never have to let him go. If she could, she would have stayed right where she was for the rest of time. Permanently snuggled up to his chest, his strong arm wrapped around her like a protective barrier from everything that might try to do her harm.

But she knew better than to think this would be forever.

"You okay, Asia?" Jon asked, stroking her arm gently with the back of his hand.

She smiled, her eyes firmly shut as she nestled up to him even tighter than before. "I was just thinking. Today has been so perfect." Her smile quickly faded. "I just wish it didn't have to end."

"And why does it?" He asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

She raised her head and stared up at him. "Jon?"

"Why does it have to end?" He asked again insistently. Jon took his free hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. "Why do you have to go back to those monsters, Asia? I care about you too much to let them hurt you anymore. With you...I feel like I could one day learn to trust again. Stay with me, let me protect you. Then one day...one day maybe we could truly be together."

She bit her tongue to force the words she truly wanted to say back down her throat. Closing her eyes again and shaking her head as tears began to roll down her cheeks. "We can't, Jon. You know how I feel about you but we just can't. I'm the one that has to protect you."

He stared at her in confusion. "Protect me? Protect me from what?"

Her eyes went wide. Asia quickly buried herself back in his chest, dropping the subject completely. She had said way too much.

"Don't worry about it for now. Tomorrow we can talk about it. But please just let me enjoy this." She nestled back up to him, her smile returning. "Just for a little while longer."

"I…" He wanted to say more. To say whatever it took to convince her to stay. As guarded as his heart might have been there was no denying that she was precious to him. No matter what the future held for their relationship, more than anything, even more than vengeance, he just wanted to protect her. More than anything, he just wanted to see her live that happy and fulfilled life she prayed for every night.

And if that meant shutting up long enough to let her rest in his arms, then that was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

When Jon next awoke, Asia was nowhere to be found. Panic quickly gripped his heart as he flung out of bed and searched all over the suite for her.

"Asia!" He called, checking the bathroom. He swore under his breath. What had happened to her? A note on the coffee table caught his eye. He quickly picked it up and began scanning over its contents.

_Jon_

_Words cannot express how wonderful this day has been and how much it has meant to me. Even as I write this my heart aches, longing for just a little more time nestled in your arms. But I'm afraid my time has run out._

"No you fucking don't…" Jon crumbled the note after reading it and quickly threw on his clothes, grabbing his weapon and bolting out the door.

_I know if you were to hear these words from my own lips, you would probably try to stop me. No, I'm certain of it. Which is why I'm writing them instead._

He mashed the button to summon the elevator repeatedly with more strength than he had intended, eventually breaking it causing him to swear loudly and make for the stairs.

_The truth is, I'm not going back to the Church. I'm running away. Where to, I'm not sure yet. But I can't stand to be near those monsters for a moment longer. I have no doubt that they will come after me, much the same as how they once came after you._

He flew down the stairs like a bat out of Hell. Nearly knocking over at least three people in the process.

_And that's why I couldn't take you up on your offer. As desperately as I may have wanted to, I just couldn't burden you with my curse._

Jon dashed through the lobby, completely blowing by the confused bellhop in the process. "Don't you dare. Don't you dare do this to me. Not again, dammit!"

_You've spent so long protecting others. From the creatures of the dark, from the Fallen Angels, and even from yourself. Well, now it's my turn to protect you._

Once he was outside, he quickly picked up her scent with his heightened senses and began running in the direction it lead him.

_You have a new family now. New friends. A new Master to serve. If I were to interfere with that, I would never forgive myself. Which is why I wanted this one day before I left forever._

He could feel the trail getting stronger, leading him towards the direction of the park. His heart dropped into his stomach as he began to feel that familiar sense of dread suddenly wash over him the closer he got.

_You've made me so happy, Jon. Even if it was only for one day. It will be a day I cherish for the rest of my life._

He reached a clearing in the trees near the park and found himself surrounded by black feathers littering the ground. No….no no no no no no NO! He chanted in his head. Desperately trying to cling on to hope.

As he located the source of Asia's scent, his very being shattered into a million pieces. Jon collapsed onto his knees as agonizing pain gripped his heart. There, lying in the middle of the grassy field, surrounded by those same black feathers, was the stuffed animal he had won for her the day before.

_Thank you, Jon. And goodbye._


	13. Chapter 13

**::Author's Note::**

**And so the end draws near. Worry not my friends, though the next chapter after this one marks the final installment of Arc One, Arc Two will be following right around the corner. This chapter's a bit meatier than the others, as it's the last one before the epilogue.**

**Something I wanted to mention is that I will on occasion make movie and TV references in my writing. I do this because I personally find it amusing, and I like seeing if my readers notice. The first one is in this Chapter. Some of them will be a little more subtle, but this one's fairly obvious. If you spot one feel free to point it out in the comments.**

**We've almost reached the finish line. I present to you all, Chapter Thirteen.**

**::End Note::**

Jon was furious. She could tell just by the aura that was approaching the chapter room. Everyone was waiting for the Pawn of the ORC to return. They knew he would be angry, but this? This was beyond even what Rias could have predicted.

"Boy are we about to get it." Kiba commented in an attempt to liven the energy in the room.

"Whatever. Let him throw a tantrum if he wants." Koneko was too busy nibbling on a chocolate donut to be bothered.

"Just remember, no matter how angry he is, we do not abandon the plan." Akeno directed, her voice carrying a sense of severity that was uncommon for her.

"I just hope that what you've set in motion works, Kiba. I'm putting a lot on the line for this." Rias commented somewhat nervously.

He smiled and nodded, sipping on a cup of tea he had made for himself. "Even if you doubt me, have faith in him, Ms. President. I have seen his potential with my own eyes. I'm certain he won't let us down." The tea began to vibrate in his cup as a demonic force approached the chapter room. A wicked grin crossed Kiba's face.

"Speak of the Devil and he shall appear."

The door to the ORC Chapter Room burst open as if hit with a battering ram. Jon's eyes were wild as he walked with furious intent up to the President's desk.

"So you're finally back." She greeted him in her usual calm, reserved demeanor. "I trust you're already aware that the Fallen Angels-"

He slammed his fist down onto the table, nearly splintering the wood. "Where the Hell were you?!"

"I understand you're upset." She continued undeterred. "But keep in mind Raynare has agents of her own working against us. By the time we learned what had happened there was nothing we could do."

"I want that bitches head on a spike!" He barked, his Devil's heart pumping fire through his veins.

"And you'll get it." She insisted, standing from her desk and walking over to him. "Once we've come up with a suitable plan. You're still not ready for-"

"I am done waiting!" He shouted angrily, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white. "I'm leaving tonight for the Church. I'm going to end her wretched life and save Asia, with or without you."

"I said no once, and I'll say it again." She snarled back at him in a harsh biting tone. "You are not going near that place until you've gained the necessary power. That is an order."

Jon threw his hat aside and removed his coat before ripping his shirt open. "Take it then!" He held out both his arms, offering his chest to her. "Stop my heart right now if that's your decision."

Rias was taken aback. For once it was Jon who had her stunned speechless.

He grinned wickedly at her. "You won't, will you? Or rather, you can't."

"Jon…listen…"

"No, you listen to me!" He shot back at her. "I know you won't kill me. I don't know why you won't, but I know you won't all the same. Which means your only choice is to let me go."

"I will not risk losing you!" She yelled back at him. "That's final!"

"Why the hell do you even care?!" He retorted. "Or let me guess, it's because I'm your favorite piece isn't it? Me, the lowly Pawn here for your amusement. Tell me, Rias...did me and Asia give you a good show last night? I know you were watching us!"

Rias glared at him. "Watch it, Jon. You're speaking of things you know nothing about." She warned through gritted teeth.

"Is my life just one big joke to you?! Is that why I'm here?! You've got room on that board for seven more pawns, right?! I'm just one of eight! You can afford to lose one or two-"

Rias's deafening slap completely silenced his tirade. Jon reeled back, his cheek burning like fire and his ears ringing like crazy. The slap sobered him up enough to calm down, at which point she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt with both hands and pulled him in close, her fiery eyes locked directly onto his.

"Don't you ever say that about yourself again." She spoke with true severity. "Pawns form the wall between the King and the enemy pieces, they possess the potential to become anything they need to be within the heart of enemy territory. They are the single most important piece on the board, and you have no idea just how important you are to m...to us." She quickly corrected.

For a long while, he didn't say anything. The only sound in the room was Koneko still chewing on her donut.

Finally, he looked back at her once more. His eyes filled with sadness now. "She was trying to protect me. She distanced herself and ran away for my sake. If she dies in there, I'll never forgive myself. Please…if what you're saying is true, then please help me get her back."

Akeno came up and whispered into Rias's ear before bowing respectfully. She nodded in understanding. "My Queen Piece and I must leave, something's come up. We can discuss this later."

His heart sank. "But...

She placed a hand on his cheek, looking back into those sad eyes with compassion. "Just feel…" Her words came out as a soft whisper. "Your blood responds to your emotions. The stronger your emotions, the more powerful you will become. Just feel, Jon. And you will know what you need to do."

Rias and Akeno stepped aside. A magic circle appeared beneath them and carted the President and Vice President away. Leaving Jon to ponder the meaning behind Rias's words. After a moment, he buttoned his shirt, picked up his jacket, and began walking towards the door.

"You going?" Kiba asked, placing his teacup down and standing.

"There's no point in trying to stop me, Kiba." Jon replied. "I've made up my mind."

"You're going to get killed." He spoke frankly.

"I can accept that..." Jon retorted, his voice low. "...just as long as I can get Asia out of there."

Kiba chuckled. "That's very brave...very stupid...but very brave indeed."

Koneko stood up and joined Kiba. "It's not just stupid. It's suicide."

He turned back and glared at them. "Look, it's none of yalls damn business! So why don't you just-"

He was interrupted by the sound of Kiba sheathing his sword onto his belt. "I'm coming with you."

"You're what?"

"Weren't you listening?" Kiba asked, offering him another cheeky grin. "The President basically just told you this is the key to unlocking more of your power. She's testing you, Jon. This is your chance to stand on your own two feet, without her watching over you."

"But she also said you wouldn't be able to do it on your own." Koneko added in her usual toneless voice. "You'll need backup."

"You...you're serious?"

Kiba gripped the hilt of his sword and stood up confidently. "There's no way in Hell we're going to let you go in there alone. So you may as well save your breath."

"Besides...it's not like there's anything better to do." Koneko added.

Jon wanted to protest but found he couldn't. They were right after all. He would need all the help he could get if he was going to pull this off.

"Thank you…" He finally relented. "...both of you."

"Now before we go." Kiba motioned for him to follow. "There's one last thing I think we'll need."

* * *

The sun had finally set on the day that the ritual was to be performed. The moon was full that night and the air was thick with dark magic. Making it all the more frustrating for Mittelt to be stuck on watch duty. The blonde girl pouted as she swung her legs back and forth, her shapely rear resting on a tree branch about a mile into the woods, away from the Church.

"Uggh, standing guard is, like, the most boring thing ever!" She whined. "Why do I have to miss out on all the fun?"

As if it were a sign from the universe itself, right on que, a red magic circle appeared in the distance. Mittelt peered down at the figures who emerged from it suspiciously, before a wicked smile spread over her face.

"Oooo, ask and you shall freaking receive." She jumped down from the tree she was sitting in and introduced herself to the two ladies who appeared. "Hi there! I'm Mittelt and I'm totally the cutest and most awesome Fallen Angel you will ever meet!" She curtsied while giggling in a pink bubbly voice.

Akeno smiled politely. "This little girl certainly is full of herself. Isn't she?"

"My servant sensed you and your friends forming a perimeter around the Church. And I can feel the dark Aura emanating from that wretched place." Rias observed. "Since you're out here standing guard I can only surmise you're expecting an attack?"

"Like when you started taking out all our suppliers?" Mittelt retorted with a sneer. "Why'd you have to go and do that anyway? Where do you think I get the money for these cute little outfits?"

"What are you plotting?" Rias demanded. "Why is the air around my city so thick with magic?"

"Your city? That's a laugh!" Mittelt mocked her in that same bubbly voice. "If you really must know, we're in the middle of a super duper top secret ritual. And we don't want you Devils interfering. That's all."

"Not to burst your bubble." Akeno apologised with false sincerity. "But a couple of our younger members slipped past you. They're on their way up to the Church right now."

"They what?!" Mittelt shouted in surprise, stomping her foot on the ground. "Are you freaking kidding me?!"

"Nope." Akeno teased mercilessly. "And they're not planning on being discreet about it."

Mittelt growled angrily like a feral kitten. "Grrr, I hate Devils. I just wanna squish their stupid Devil faces. Uggggh!" She quickly regained her composure, no longer behaving like a spoiled child but rather the deadly killer she was. "Whatever. Let them do their worst. It's not like they can stop us, what with all the Stray Hunters we've acquired." She narrowed her eyes at Akeno and Rias. "So why are you here? I sincerely hope it's not for some sort of cute little rescue operation. Because if so you'll have to deal with me first." An aura of power began to envelope her. "I may be little but I promise you this much. I can pack a mean punch."

Rias smirked at Mittelt, completely unphased by her threat. "They're on their own." She spoke calmly.

"Huh?" Mittelt asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"We won't be making any attempt to rescue them."

"So what? You're going to just sit back and watch?" She asked incredulously.

Akeno nodded. "Something like that. After all...it's what we do best."

Mittelt chuckled in amusement. "Well rescue or not, I can't let you go. Seeing as you're the Captain of that loser squad and all, if we take you out then they're basically on a one way trip to useless town." A single fang grew from the corner of her mouth as two monstrous black wings sprouted from her back. "Sorry, but I'm bringing friends to this tea party!"

A black portal opened behind Rias and Akeno, bringing two more Fallen Angels with it.

"Good work, Mittelt." Kalawarner praised. "They've fallen right into our little trap."

"Unfortunate that we have to meet again, Ms. Gremory." Dohnaseek nodded to them both cordially while puffing on his cigar.

"You should have kept your servant in line." Kalawarner snarled angrily. "He's stuck his nose into business that's of no concern to him, and now he'll pay for it."

Akeno clapped her hands together excitedly. "Well well, the gangs all here!"

Rias smirked at her Queen. "So it would seem."

"Look, why don't we cut the bullshit, Doll." Dohnaseek offered in his usual Creole accent, his wings unfurling. "We know you're here to interrupt the ritual, and that we simply cannot allow."

"You'll pay for your interference with your lives!" Kalawarner shrieked, both her and Dohnaseek proceeding to take off into the night sky.

"Akeno." Rias commanded.

"Already on it." The Raven Haired Beauty replied, raising her hand up into the sky and summoning a bolt of yellow lightning that struck her frame with a jolt of energy. The club uniform she was wearing vanished, as did the skimpy black bra and matching thong she had underneath. Enchanted threads of energy circled her body and enveloped her in white and red Miko attire. Once the transformation was complete, Akeno radiated with untapped power.

"No fair!" Mittelt whined, pointing at Akeno accusingly. "I wasn't told we could bring costumes to this fight!"

Akeno brought her hands together and formed a quick sign with her fingers, proceeding to then raise them into the air once she was done. All around the clearing, small red magic circles began to cover the area. Completely surrounding all five of them in a magical dome.

"It's a barrier!" Dohnaseek warned, his cigar falling from his mouth.

"Uh oh...that's like...bad, right?" Mittelt nervously looked around for any sign of a way out.

Akeno snickered playfully at them, bringing a deviant little finger up to her lips as her hands began to spark with that same magical electricity. "Catching my prey in a cage like this just gets me so hot." Her face flushed as she licked her finger suggestively.

"This was your plan the whole time!" Kalawarner surmised angrily.

"Yep." She replied casually. "And I'm going to take a whole lot of pleasure out of watching you three suffer. Hope you picked a good safeword!"

"That's totally gross!" Mittelt whined, taking off into the sky to join her two comrades.

"End of the line for you three." Rias mocked. "With us holding you here, that's three of the four Fallen Angels who won't be getting in Jon's way."

"Laugh all you want it doesn't change anything." Kalawarner assured.

"The ritual is almost complete." Dohnaseek added, a twisted smile on his face. "And once it's done, not even you will have the power to stand against us."

* * *

Freed Selzen stood before a dozen men. All Stray Hunters just like him. The redheaded bitch was a fool to think that her little attack dog had killed all his soldiers. He still had plenty.

"Now listen up!" He addressed his loyal Hunters at the steps of the church. They were all armed with AR-15s and dressed in dark robes with a black executioners hoods. "The ritual is nigh! Soon, our new Lords shall gain power beyond our wildest dreams! And soon, we shall share in that power!"

His men cheered, hoisting their assault rifles into the air.

"But make no mistake. Our enemy will be coming." His voice dripped with malevolence. "That's why we're here at the gate."

"Death to the Devils!" One of his men shouted.

"Burn them all!"

He raised his hands to call for silence, the wind began to pick up blowing his hood to the right and obstructing his vision. "Now unless they shoot first, nobody shoot them." He commanded, trying to get the hood back on straight. "That's too good for this lot. We're gonna skin these Devil bastards alive!" He was still having trouble with the hood. "And I will personally salt and burn what remains of them myself!"

After adjusting the hood some more, he looked around. "Damn...I can't see fucking shit out of this thing!"

As he continued to fiddle with his hood, his men glanced around at each other awkwardly.

"So uhhh...are we getting into position or what?" One of them asked.

"Yeah yeah, hold on a second. I'm fucking with my eyeholes." He tore one of the holes in the hood a little wider and looked around.

"Any luck?" One of the Hunters asked.

"No, I think I just made it worse." Freed replied glumly, pulling the hood off his head. "Anyone else having trouble?"

Most of them nodded their heads.

"Who's idea was this, anyway?" One of them asked, pulling at the hood to adjust it. "I can hardly breathe in this thing!"

"It was Carl!" Another one of them replied.

"Hey don't look at me! I didn't actually make the damn things!" Carl shot back defensively. "It was Larry's wife!"

"Well make your own fucking hoods then!" Larry shot back angrily.

"Calm down, Larry. No one's saying they don't appreciate what Rebecca did." Carl assured.

"Well if all I had to do was cut a hole in a bag I sure could do it a hell of a lot better than this!" Another one of them shouted.

"What about you, Jeff?" Carl asked the Hunter next to him. "Can you see?"

"Not to good." He responded honestly. "I mean...if I don't move my head too much I can see alright. But when the wind starts blowing the bags moving all over the place and I'm pretty much blind."

As he talked, Carl removed his hood and tore at it. "Shit...I think I just made mine worse."

"Do we seriously have to wear these things?" Another Hunter asked, pulling his bag off.

"Well what was the point of the hoods then if no one wears them?!"

"But no one can see!"

They began to argue amongst each other. Freed whistled sharply for their attention.

"Now listen up! Let's not forget why we're here! The Devils will be coming at any moment, I guarantee it. It's up to us to put an end to their wretched existence."

An awkward silence hung in the air.

"So wait...I'm confused. Are the hoods staying on or off?" Carl asked.

"I think…" Jeff spoke up as the voice of reason once more. "...that we all agree the hoods were a nice idea. And while not pointing any fingers, they could have been done better." All the Hunters save for Larry seemed to nod in agreement. "So how about this? No hoods this time. But next time, we do them right. Then we go in, full regalia."

Everyone seemed to reach a consensus, and the bags were removed.

"You know what?! Fuck all of yall!" Larry shouted angrily, tossing his hood on the ground. "I'm going home!" He began to storm off.

"Come on, Larry. Don't be like that." Carl tried to stop him.

"No, you know what?!" He turned back around angrily. "My poor wife spent all day yesterday sewing together dozens of bags for you ungrateful fuckers, and all I hear is criticize, criticize, criticize! From now on, don't ask me or mine for nothing!"

Larry's head exploded, spraying his comrades in a shower of bone, blood and brain matter.

"What the fu-"

Before Carl could say anything, his head too, blew right off his shoulders.

"They're here!" Freed shouted. "Everyone into the Church now!"

The remaining Hunters ran for the stairs and made their way inside. Not before one more of them fell to the ground, his heart having seemingly burst out of his chest. Once inside, the remaining defenders quickly shut the doors and took position.

From the nearby forest, roughly half a mile away in the bushes, Jon, Kiba, and Koneko watched as the defenders scattered and retreated back into the Church.

"You feel that?" Jon asked the group.

"No kidding, there's probably way more than just those twelve waiting for us inside." He turned to Jon and smirked. "How's the new weapon treating you?"

He lowered the gorgeous Colt Lightning Carbine Kiba had made for him and cocked the handle, ejecting the spent .44 caliber round from the chamber. The metal was composed of the same material his revolver had been made out of, with an ash wood stock that had been painted to match the color of the metal and decked in intricate designs depicting Dio Los Muertos.

"I'd say you've outdone yourself this time, Kiba." Jon replied, smiling back at him. "I can't thank you enough for helping, and I don't just mean with the new gun."

"It's no problem." He assured. "We're Peerage Brothers after all." His gaze returned to the church, and for the briefest moment Jon could detect the slightest hint of malice in his voice as he spoke again. "Besides...you're not the only one who has a vendetta against the Fallen Angels."

Jon was about to ask what he meant by that when Koneko stood up from her spot behind the bushes and made her way over to the Church. Jon and Kiba quickly followed after her.

"Hey wait! We shouldn't just rush in." Jon insisted as she stepped over the bodies and ascended the stairs.

"No need to be sneaky, they know we're here." She calmly replied, raising her leg high into the air before delivering a kick that completely smashed the barricade on the other side and knocked the doors wide open.

Upon opening the front door, the three Devils were greeted to the sight of nine AR-15 barrels aimed directly at them. The Hunter behind each one stationed at strategic points among the rows of pews. Jon was the first to enter, slinging his rifle over his shoulder and pulling out his cigarettes before popping one in his mouth.

"How yall doin?" He asked nonchalantly, tipping his hat and lighting the smoke between his teeth.

Freed, who was standing at the altar behind his men, clapped his hands mockingly. "So we meet again." He waved at Jon, that psychotic look in his eye. "Glad you could make it. I see you've already acquainted yourself with my friends."

"For the record, those hoods just looked silly." Jon quipped. "You look better without them."

"I knew it!" Jeff called from his pew, eliciting a series of death glares from his fellow Hunters. He quietly ducked his head back down, ignoring his own outburst.

"Here's the thing." Freed glared at him. "As pleased as I am to see you again. I pride myself on never having to fight a Devil more than once. And yet here you are, just rubbing my own failure directly in my face. If there's one thing I won't abide it's being mocked by maggot Devils like you. Especially in a house of God."

Jon chuckled, taking the cigarette from his mouth and casually tapping the ashes onto the floor. "Funny you should mention that. See, I don't know what kinda foul unholy nonsense you're pulling in here. But I can barely feel the Light's presence in this place anymore."

"Whatever your Masters are doing they've tainted this once holy ground." Kiba explained. "Which means your only advantage over us is null and void."

"In other words." Koneko finished. "You're all fucked."

"Is that so?" Freed's eyes went wide as his sanity began to crumble. "In that case, why don't we pick up where we left off?" He drew his Blade of Light along with Jon's Smith and Wesson. "The thought of tearing you Devils apart piece by piece makes my mouth water!"

Jon dropped the coy act almost immediately, clutching his rifle in both hands and spitting out his cigarette. "The jokes are over, Freed. I want to know where you took Asia."

Freed rolled his eyes, groaning in disappointment. "Oh, you mean that little Devil loving whore of a Sister? I should have known that's why you were really here. Not to try to foil our plans or anything, you just wanna plow that virgin soil again. Don't you?" He stomped on the floor beneath his feet. "All you have to do to get to her is take the stairs under the floor here. Not that you'll ever make it that far. Boys!"

Jon summoned his Sacred Gear and threw up a barrier of green energy moments before the nine Hunters in front of him unloaded their weapons. The Church lit up with the sound of automatic fire before falling into deafening silence once their weapons were spent. When the smoke had cleared, Jon and his crew were still standing. The green barrier was still intact.

"Reload!" Freed ordered.

All nine men unloaded the spent cartridges and reached for new ones. The five on the right were still in the process of reloading when a pew came flying at them. Smashing two in the head and causing the other three to duck, dropping the cartridges in the process. Koneko leapt up into the air and came down on one of the three remaining Hunter's heads. Smashing it into pulp upon the stone ground as she stuck the landing.

"Suck it."

The four on the left reloaded and aimed at Koneko when one of their heads was shot clean off by Jon's rifle. He quickly rolled behind one of the pews and pumped his rifle, aiming it at the three remaining Hunters and popping another one in the head.

Koneko picked up another pew and swung it like a ram. Hitting two more Hunters on the right side and smashing open their skulls. Jon continued to provide her with cover fire from the left. Popping another Hunter in the head, while Kiba darted at lightning speeds to engage Freed directly. Drawing his sword and clashing with the Priest's Blade of Light.

"Come on!" Freed shouted, firing his Smith and Wesson. "Is that the best you got?!" Kiba dodged each round skillfully before clashing with his blade again.

"You're quick." Kiba admitted, forcing his blade against Freed's.

"You're not so bad yourself." The Stray Hunter replied, pointing his revolver directly in the Knight's face. "Too bad that just makes me want to kill you more!"

Jon popped out of cover just in time to see Kiba dodge another shot by bending backwards and handspringing away, kicking Freed's gun out of his hand and sending it flying into the corner of the room in the process. While this happened, Jon popped the last two Hunters on the left in the head, raining more blood and brain matter onto the pews. Koneko leapt off one of the other benches and landed with her legs between the head of the final Hunter on the right, twisting the bottom half of her torso and snapping his neck.

"Very well, if you want to get serious about this, I can too." Kiba raised his sword in front of him as a dark shadow enveloped the blade.

Freed's sanity hung by a thread, he stuck his tongue out and charged with his own blade, clashing with Kiba once more. As the blades connected, tendrils of shadow leapt from Kiba's sword and attached themselves to Freed's, causing it to fade in and out of existence.

"Hey! What the Hell is this?!"

"The Holy Eraser." Kiba explained in a condescending manner. "It's a sword of darkness that devours light."

"Please! You think I'm afraid of you?!" Freed shouted angrily.

"Jon, now!" Kiba leapt backwards as Rias's Pawn aimed his rifle at Freed.

"Enough of this bullshit!" The Stray Hunter responded by throwing up a barrier of light in front of him.

Jon activated the boost ability on his gauntlet causing the decals on the weapon to glow. A green spark flew from the rifle's barrel and shattered the barrier, sending Freed flying backwards and onto the ground.

"Hate to break it to you, but our Pawn isn in prime condition to fight this time. And he's had plenty of time to practice and get even stronger." Kiba bragged, raising his weapon up again.

"Gah! You bastards!" Freed stood and charged again, before getting knocked back to the ground by a pew thrown by Koneko.

"Yeah...no." She commented taciturnly.

Freed smashed through the wreckage of the pew and looked around. A crazy fast blonde guy with a freakish sword. A Cowboy with a rifle that could break his shields. And what had to be the strongest piece of Moe Bait in existence.

"Yep, I'm fucked if I stay here." He declared, before jumping up onto the base of the giant stone cross behind him. "But I'll be damned if a bunch of Devils get the best of me! You may have won the battle, but the war is far from over, Scum!"

With that he tossed some sort of flask onto the ground, illuminating his surroundings in blinding light. The three Devil's turned their heads away and in the instant the flash occurred, Freed disappeared. As their eyes re-adjusted to the darkness they looked around to see he was well and truly gone.

"Dammit, he got away!"

"Save it, Jon. We need to focus on finding Asia." Kiba sheathed his sword and looked around the now barren husk of a church. "So...any ideas where this basement could be?"

"Hey guys." Koneko, who had made her way up the steps to the altar, motioned for them to join her by the podium before casually kicking the entire structure aside. Beneath the splintered remains of the Preacher's Podium was a set of conspicuously placed stairs that lead down into parts unknown.

"Right." Jon pumped his rifle after reloading. "Let's get this over with."

He and Kiba both descended the stairs, as Koneko was about to join them she caught the gleam of something shiny from the corner of her eye.

* * *

"I see…" Rias took a breath to calm herself. She had suspected what they were trying to do from the beginning but hearing it from the Fallen Angel's own mouths was an entirely different beast. "...so you're not merely content to use the poor girl's powers for your own purposes, you plan to extract her sacred gear and take it for yourself."

"Exactly!" Mittelt squealed with delight. "Once Raynare has the Sacred Gear that girl possess, she can tap into its full power. That silly little bimbo has no clue how to use that gift of hers to its full potential. Plus, this way we won't have to constantly beat her into obedience anymore."

"Taking that girls Sacred Gear is the same as taking her very soul." Akeno, whose good humor had faded, spat out in disgust. "You're killing her."

Mittelt scoffed. "Oh big deal! Like we've never done that to a human before."

Rias glared at her menacingly. "There's one major difference this time. That girl happens to be quite precious to one of my Servants, and by extension, precious to me." Her body began to radiate with dark power. "I will not allow you to take that from him. Nor will he allow any of your lackeys to stand in his way."

"Perhaps so. But Raynare holds more power than the three of us combined." Dohnaseek boasted confidently. "And once she has the Sacred Gear in her hands she'll be invincible."

"I wouldn't place all your confidence in that overzealous leader of yours." Rias retorted with a smug grin. "When it comes to raw power, there is no creature walking this earth that can compare to my Pawn."

* * *

Jon and Kiba both darted down the long dark hallway at the bottom of the stairs, quickly joined by Koneko.

"Where did you go?" Kiba asked as they made for the door at the far end of the hall.

"Taking care of loose ends." She explained taciturnly.

Once they reached the far end of the hallway, Jon smashed through the basement door with his shoulder and aimed his rifle at anything that moved.

The trio of Devils were greeted to the site of a large stone room filled with dozens of Hunters seemingly armed to the teeth. On a tall stone altar up a flight of stairs at the back of the room, Raynare stood above all of them. A wicked gleam in her eye.

Jon's heart stopped dead in its tracks. Right behind her, strung up by chains along a stone cross, was Asia, stripped of all save a badly torn white nightgown.

"Come on in, Devils. Welcome to the party." Raynare declared in that same Sardonic voice Jon remembered from the night she tried to kill him. "Though you're far too late. The ritual is already complete."

"Asia!" Jon called to her, aiming his rifle directly at Raynare.

The frail, broken girl stirred, slowly craning her head up towards the voice that called her name. "Jon...you came." Her weak little voice barely carried the joy that she felt getting to see him one last time.

"I'm here!" He shouted to her. "Don't worry, we'll have you down in just a-"

"JON! Lookout!"

Kiba was able to pull him out of the way just in time to see a red spear of light embed itself in the stone floor where he was standing not but a moment ago. The spear flashed in blinding light as it detonated, blasting Jon and company backwards into the stone wall behind them and knocking off his hat.

"This really is an incredibly touching reunion, Jon. The Ex and the Misses here together with the Boyfriend." She teased. The stone cross Asia was chained to began to glow as neon green symbols covered its surface. "Unfortunately, it's time to say goodbye to your little sweetheart."

Asia began to wail in pain, fighting against her chains as a jolt of energy coursed through her body.

"Dammit!" Jon picked himself up and sprinted for the rifle he dropped on the ground.

"Hold him off!" Raynare commanded to the Hunters below.

Dozens of weapons: Assault Rifles, Desert Eagles, Combat Shotguns, an entire armories worth of firepower unloaded on him right as he managed to pick up his rifle. Jon barely had time to erect a barrier with his Sacred Gear before being barraged with a hail of holy ammunition.

He winced as the force of the gunfire forced him to his knees, his barrier wouldn't hold for much longer. "Anytime you two wanna jump in that would be just fine with me!" He shouted back to his friends.

Koneko responded by slamming her fist into the stone floor, erecting a stone wall between him and the gunfire. Jon quickly dove behind the makeshift cover, along with Kiba.

"What are they doing to her?!" He shouted, occasionally ducking out of cover to fire off a few shots.

"She's trying to extract her Sacred Gear!" Kiba shouted back in-between hails of gunfire and the sound of Asia shrieking in unbearable agony. "It'll kill her if we don't stop this!"

"Can you two cover me?!"

Kiba nodded. "We've got your back! You go for Raynare!" He then vanished in a blur of speed, charging straight into the ranks of the Stray Hunters on the left side of the room, while Koneko kicked the stone wall she had erected, sending it flying forwards and cutting a path right down the center for him before charging the Hunters on the right.

Jon unloaded his rifle on everything moving between him and Asia, the sounds of her pained wailing fueling his legs to move faster. Once his rifle was spent, he used the butt of his weapon to smash in the face of another Stray Hunter that attempted to cleave his head off with a silver machete. He dropped the rifle and followed up with a kick from the poisoned blade in his boot, before using the Hunter's body as a shield against another barrage of holy rounds from a group of his buddies. Jon drew his revolver and fired six shots, decimating six targets in front of him and splattering the surrounding area with gore. He then cast a fire spell on the deceased body he was using for cover with his Sacred Gear and hurled the body down the center rank. The corpse detonated on contact with the ground, giving Jon time to blast the disoriented Hunters in his path with a wall of flame, incinerating most of them. He quickly used the opening to reload his revolver and fire off five more shots, downing the last five enemies standing in his way.

With one shot left in the gun, Jon planted his foot on the bottom step leading up to the altar and aimed for his primary target. The gun nearly fell from his hands as the color drained from his face.

He was too late. Jon stared up in horror at Asia's lifeless, cold eyes as she slumped over in her bonds. The green aura of light bearing two silver rings with blue-green gems that had emerged from her chest slowly descended into Raynare's outstretched palms.

"Yes! I've been lusting after this power for years!" Raynare cackled with maniacal glee as she grasped Asia's Sacred Gear in her hands. "Finally, Twilight Healing is mine!" She pressed the rings against her chest, absorbing the power into her own body. Her head tilted back in pure ecstasy as an erotic moan escaped her lips.

Jon shielded his eyes from the blinding green light that enveloped him. As the light faded and he looked back towards Raynare he could see she was now encased in an aura of that same green energy.

She burst into a fit of hysterical laughter, gazing down at her hands as they pulsed with new unbridled power. "Finally, I have the power to exact my revenge! All those pricks who screwed me over are going to regret the day they cast me out!" The Fallen Angel had completely given in to her lust for power.

"Damn you!" He fired off the last shot in his revolver, aiming straight for her wicked heart.

The bullet bounced off the shield of light that appeared in front of her harmlessly. She didn't even have to raise her hand or cast any sort of sign in the air. It was as if it appeared simply by her willing it into existence.

No longer thinking clearly, Jon dropped his weapon and sprinted up the stairs, now focused solely on Asia. Once he reached the top and stared up at her lifeless form, his entire body went numb.

"Oh God no…"

Raynare smirked cruelly at him. "You deserve a reward for making it this far." She snapped her fingers causing the chains binding Asia to fade away into dust.

Jon caught her seemingly lifeless body as she fell, cradling her in his arms like a small child. "Asia! Asia, it's me! Come on, please say something!"

Much to his relief, her eyes slowly fluttered open. "Jon…"

"I'm getting you out of here." He assured her, lifting her up off the ground, completely ignoring the fact the woman he had been wanting to murder for so long was standing mere feet away from him.

"Okay…" Her voice was puny, and the color was draining from her face. Jon could feel her aura fading quickly and her body going cold. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew in the back of his mind that she was dying. Without another thought he rushed her down the stairs, completely ignoring the chaotic battle that was still raging around him.

He stopped, remembering his friends still desperately fighting. "Kiba, Koneko!"

"We've got this!" Kiba shouted back, slicing another Hunter in half. "Just go!"

"Come on! Leave already!" Koneko shouted, smashing a Hunter's face in with a roundhouse kick

"I…" He nodded. "Thank you…"

Jon turned and darted passed the basement door, down the hall, and up the stairs towards freedom.

* * *

Three bolts of light struck through the sky in a zigzag formation, one red, one blue, and one yellow. All on a direct course for Rias Gremory. Akeno jumped in front of the President at the last second with her right hand stretched out towards the projectiles, erecting a magical barrier just in time to deflect the incoming blow.

"That's gonna get old real fast." Mittelt commented from her nearby perch on the tree.

Kalawarner chuckled in amusement from a branch near Mittelt's. "How long do you think they're going to hold that shield?"

"Not a very well thought out tool if I do say so myself." Dohnaseek replied, puffing on a fresh cigar. "That's gotta be taxing on the poor girl."

"Tell you what, put those barrier things down and we'll let you go." Mittelt offered, a devious little smirk on her face. "Sooo kidding! Better get comfy because we're going to be here for a little while. Man, I bet your minions think you dropped them like a bad face lift." She covered her mouth with the palm of her hand to stifle another bout of chortling. "Oh my God, especially that pussywipped Southern Boy who thought Raynare wanted his babies!" She keeled over, her sides hurt from laughing so hard. "I bet she's completely crushed him by now!"

"If I were you, I wouldn't underestimate him." Rias calmly replied. She hadn't budged an inch since this conflict had begun. "I just told you, he's easily one of the most powerful Pawns I've ever seen." She glared up at the three Fallen Angels. "And very soon, that power is about to be unleashed."

"A Pawn?" Mittelt asked, cocking her head down at Rias curiously. "Well isn't that nifty, you Devils name your servants after chess pieces?

"The Pawns are the ones who line up in the front." Dohnaseek observed. "The sacrificial fodder used to protect the more valuable pieces."

"Nonsense." Akeno retorted. "We would never sacrifice any of our members." She gazed up at the Church, her thoughts going out to the man she had no doubt was fighting for his life.

"After all, we're not just a Club. We're Family."

* * *

Jon rushed up the stairs and placed Asia down on one of the pews that were still intact in the quiet, lifeless Church. He knelt down next to her and clutched her tiny hand in both of his.

"Hang in there, okay?" He pleaded, his voice catching in his throat. "Just a little farther and we can get you some help. You've just gotta hold on for a little bit longer."

She slowly opened her eyes, clutching at him weakly with her hand. "I know it wasn't a very long time but...I'm so blessed to have had you in my life."

"Stop it!" He demanded, tears leaking down his face. It was all he could do to try to compose himself. "Just stop it, you hear me? We're gonna get you out of here. And you're gonna have me in your life for a lot longer than this."

She smiled up at him with big beautiful emerald eyes, eyes that slowly began to well up as he talked.

"Once we're outta here…" He continued, returning her smile even as tears continued to pour down his face. "...Imma take you back to campus and let you recover with me. I'll get my guitar, and I'm gonna sing to you every night until you're completely better. Then…" He choked on his words, wiping away the fresh tears. "...then I'm gonna introduce you to my Club, and you'll get to enroll on campus and walk with me to class every day. I'll introduce you to my buddies, and they'll love you simply because of how gorgeous you are." He broke down, shutting his eyes and beginning to quietly sob. "They come off as a couple of perverts but they're good guys, you know? And they'd love to meet you. So many people on campus would love to meet you. And we'd have such a great story to tell them…" He buried his face in her hand. "...where should we go? After you're better, where should we go to tell them all about this crazy adventure of ours?"

"I wish it could have been different." She quietly responded. "It would have been great to stay with you….go to your school…"

"We still can…" His voice hitched, raising several octaves as he fought through the crying. "...please Asia, we still can. Just hang on a little longer."

Her hand reached up and touched his cheek gently. "I never wanted to make you cry...oh Jon...I'm so sorry…" Tears rolled down her porcelain cheeks as the breath left her lungs for the final time.

"Goodbye."

Her hand fell limp and her eyes shut for good. As Jon gazed down at her, he could see she was still smiling even in death.

She looked so beautiful...even though she was gone.

After what felt like an eternity clutching her cold lifeless body close to him and violently sobbing on her neck he finally put her back down and cast his gaze up at the stars, numb to the world around him. Whatever he was expecting to find, he was sure he wouldn't see it.

"Why?" He asked softly. "Didn't you have some purpose for her? Wasn't there a reason you put her through all this?" His sadness began to boil into a simmering rage. "Why put her through the same Hell as me if you were just gonna kill her in the end?! We were the same except that she never gave up on you! She never gave up on her faith!"

All was silent, Jon gazed back down at Asia again, new tears falling on her angelic face.

"It's because of me, isn't it. Because of what we did together. She just wanted to feel close to someone. I was just trying to help her not feel so alone! It's my fault, dammit! I'm the one to blame here! So punish me and give her back!" He pleaded for some higher power to listen, ignoring the searing pain in his skull. "I'm begging you! Just give her back!"

"A Devil asking for forgiveness in Church? What an insidious sense of humor."

Raynare perched behind him, resting daintily upon the stone structure that formed the base of the Churches cross. How she had slipped past Kiba and Koneko wasn't something he was worried about. He barely even acknowledged her existence in his grief.

"Yuma Amano…" She continued, staring up at the brightly lit moon. "...meaning Evening Days. I thought it appropriate considering the nature of our relationship, and how it was always destined to end." She stared down at him, crossing one slender leg over the other, her bust on full display in a manner similar to the night they met. "What's not appropriate is how you refused to die. Not only that, but you go and replace me with some pious platinum Nun Slut." She began speaking in the sweet voice she used back when they first started dating. "Oh Jon, I'm hurt! Weren't we special? Wasn't I worth waiting for?" She pouted at him, pretending to sniffle and cry. "You're making me jealous. I bet you even pulled out the belt for her too." She burst into a fit of cruel laughter. "Oh who am I kidding? A sheltered little prude like that? It was probably nothing but missionary all night long, wasn't it. Christ, that's boring! I'm surprised she didn't put you to sleep after the first few thrusts."

Jon was silent. He didn't even look back at her: didn't even move.

"Let's be real here, Jon. She wasn't the same, was she? Nothing could replace what we had." Raynare looked over at her arm, just now noticing a cut. "Uggh, how annoying is this? Your Knight buddy did it to me on my way up here." She raised one of her gloved hands up to the cut, the tips of her fingers began to glow, healing the scrape almost instantly. "With this power my wounds can heal faster than any being can hope to make them. Now I'll never risk losing my place in the Underworld. Azazel will surely see my usefulness with this new ability. And one less Sacred Gear can be used against us."

"What does that matter?"

She glanced down at him, he still wasn't looking at her but she knew that was his voice. Dead as it sounded.

"Why couldn't she have kept it?" He asked dryly, his throat sore from weeping. "Say what you will about me, I killed your servants. I'll admit that probably painted a target on my back." His body began to tremble. "But she didn't care about power, or revenge, or any of that. Asia just wanted to live in peace. So why did she have to die?"

Raynare sighed, shaking her head in disappointment before getting up and sauntering over to him. "You still don't get it, do you? Humans with these kind of powers cannot possibly survive in this world. I had thought you of all people would have learned that by now."

He remained silent, his gaze still cast down at Asia.

"Fear is what drives the hearts of men." She continued her long winded lecture, pacing behind him like a feral cat. "It is fear of God's wrath that drives them to the Church. It is fear of our power that produces the Hunters that try to kill us. But most of all, it is the fear of those who are different, those few chosen to possess abilities far beyond anything mortal beings could possibly hope to compete with, that make living a normal life impossible for men and women like you."

Yet again, all was quiet.

"If it hadn't been me who killed her, it would have been someone else. Face it, Jon. She never stood a chance in this world. And for that matter...neither did you."

Despite everything that had happened. Despite all he had lost, and everything that had been taken from him. Despite the nightmare he was living in.

Despite it all, Jon was laughing.

It was a throaty, lifeless laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. One that deeply confused Raynare, as well as made her a little nervous.

"What's so funny?" She asked impatiently.

"I just now realized something…" He explained, continuing to chuckle quietly under his breath. "And now I feel like kind of an idiot. See, I've been sitting her on my hands and knees this whole time…"

Jon stood up on his own power, still turned away from her. Slowly, he craned his head down to the ground.

"...praying to the wrong God."

A shiver ran down her spine. Raynare took one step back despite herself.

"So let's try this again, shall we? Lucifer, Satan, whatever the Hell your name is. I've been among your kind long enough to know you delight in making deals. So let's you and me make one right here and now."

The mark on his left hand began to glow. Jon removed his coat, along with his shirt, exposing his back to her.

"I haven't exactly been completely loyal to the cause." He continued. "My motivation up until this point has been largely based on self-interest." Slowly, the Dragon on his hand began to snake up his arm and spread across his back. "But that stops now. If you want it, I'll be your Devil's Colt until the end of time itself. Or at least until some hapless soul finally does me in for good and sends my Devil's heart into the oblivion it belongs."

An aura of unimaginable power began to radiate from his being. The entire structure began to shake violently beneath their feet. The dragon made its way all across his torso and his other arm, completely covering his body in its mark.

"If you want me to rot in Hell forever that's fine by me. I only ask one thing in return…"

Jon turned around and looked at her. His eyes were blood red, his pupils glowing like fire and shaped into reptilian slits. His face was covered in the Dragon's Mark and his teeth had grown into razor sharp points. Finally, his forehead had sprouted two giant, sharp horns.

"I ask only for the power to drag this Bitch down there with me!"

The aura of power around him ignited, sending a shockwave through the entire structure that shattered every stain glass window and blew Raynare back with the force of its impact. She quickly righted herself with her wings and took flight to gain a vantage on the situation she was quickly losing control of.

The thing that used to be Jon slowly craned its head up to her, raising its left hand, and then its right. Two gauntlets of power appeared on both its hands, as well as two red armored boots replacing the leather ones on his feet.

"I'M GOING TO DESTROY YOU, YUMA!"

Two giant wings sprouted from its back. But these were not the wings of an ordinary Devil.

These were Dragon's Wings.

* * *

Akeno was forced back by yet another spear of light. She didn't want to admit it but her powers were starting to wane. She wasn't used to holding a barrier for this long while also shielding the President from the attacks of three powerful Fallen Angels.

"Bluster all you want about that boys abilities. He's still no match for Raynare." Dohnaseek bragged.

"Even if she is his ex-girlfriend!" Mittelt giggled hysterically. "Oh, we heard all the tragic details of their little fling. Boys like him will do just about anything for some nice words and the chance to get their pole greased!"

Rias's expression darkened.

Dohnaseek chuckled mockingly. "Now stop that! Mittelt, that's just evil!"

Kalawarner scoffed callously. "What a joke!"

All three Fallen Angels summoned their spears of light once again. Each with the intent of making this the shot that brought the President of the ORC down. Akeno was about out of gas, she couldn't keep this up.

The spears of light hurtled towards their target, Akeno didn't have the magic left to deflect.

"Watch out!" She cried.

A hideous aura of power enveloped Rias, completely shattering the three spears as they made contact. The Crimson Devil's body was glowing red, her hair floating over her as if caught in a stiff breeze.

There was murder in her eyes.

"She deflected it!" Kalawarner observed disbelievingly, fear gripping her body.

"You really don't get it, do you?" Her voice dripped with malevolence and overwhelming power. "You're just like all the others. All you see is a scared little boy with a mark on his arm." The ground shook beneath her feet. "The Sacred Gear he possess isn't just a powerful artifact for you to bury away. That Gear is part of his very being. He doesn't just possess one of the Thirteen Longinus. He is one of the Thirteen!"

All three Angels reeled back in horror.

"Spears of light? Magical trinkets? They are nothing compared to him! That boy is no ordinary Devil! He is the reincarnated spirit of the Red Dragon Emperor himself!"

Their backs pressed against the barrier as the weight of this devastating revelation shattered their last vestiges of bravery.

"He's not a joke!" The demonic voice that resounded from within Rias boomed over them. "And nobody laughs at my Servants!"

"Uh oh. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to taunt her like that." Akeno teased in her own bubbly voice. "Whoopsie on you."

A surge of black and red lightning flashed in the sky. Completely incinerating all that it touched.

* * *

The creature Raynare no longer recognized stared up at her with that same murderous gaze. He took a single step forward and she floated backwards reflexively. What was this feeling she had? Why was she suddenly so nervous?

"So you learned a few new tricks." She stated, trying to shrug off the situation. "Big deal. I'm still on a completely different level from you."

He didn't say anything, rather he simply took another step forward. Again, she backed up.

"You think because you managed to power up, suddenly you can beat me?! Is that it?!" She shouted down at him angrily.

He smirked up at her, his massive wings beating the ground below and causing him to take flight. He hovered in the air beside her, still maintaining eye contact.

"So you're going to destroy me, are you?" Her teeth grew fangs similar to his. Her aura growing darker as she brought the full measure of her terrible power to bare. "I always loved a man who wasn't afraid to take control! Even after all this time apart you still know how to get me wet!" Two spears of light appeared in both her hands, along with a row of eight hovering in the air behind her.

"Show me what you've got, Jonathan Hyodo!"

Raynare hurled the spears of light directly at him, barraging her target with ten strikes in total. The spears made contact and detonated. However, when the smoke cleared, Jon was still standing, enveloped in an orb of green light.

She cursed, summoning another spear, far stronger this time and hurling it. Jon's body moved faster than any human eye could detect, swooping around at an angle and smashing her square in the jaw with one of his gauntlets.

The barrier that protected her barely had time to form as his fist made contact with her face, sending her careening into the far wall before collapsing onto the floor. A surge of green energy washed over her and her wounds healed almost instantly. Raynare took flight once more and charged, lunging directly at Jon with her spear of light. The tip broke through the green orb of light and shattered it, forcing him to retreat backwards, dodging each attempt she made to stab him.

He knocked her with a wave of fire from his left gauntlet before taking a deep breath and roaring at the top of his lungs, sending a plum of hellfire bursting from his mouth and engulfing her in the blaze. Raynare's shield enveloped her, protecting from the worst of the attack, yet despite its potency she was still scorched in several areas. The green energy surged through her body again and she was fully healed once more.

The Fallen Angel soared above him, an orb of red energy forming in the palms of her outstretched hands. A barrage of arrows of light burst from her hands by the hundreds, showering down upon Jon's position. He responded by crossing his arms over his face in an X formation, shielding himself with another wall of green light. The force of the barrage proved to be too much for him to fully take, however, and he was knocked back onto the ground, landing on his feet and sending a shockwave throughout the entire Church. With a single beat of his wings, Jon leapt back up into the air, spiraling with ignited gauntlets like a blazing inferno up towards her before delivering a hideous uppercut that sent her flying through the ceiling and into the open sky. He quickly pursued, hurling fireballs that exploded on contact from his gauntlets as she did her best to evade and lose his tail.

As the two combatants moved the fight to the open air, Raynare's body recovered from his last attack almost instantly.

"It's pointless, Jon!" She called out to him, another spear forming in her hand. "No matter what you throw at me, I'll recover from it. You can't kill me!"

His gauntlets ignited once more and Jon charged. Rushing her with his right hand ready to deliver a blazing hook. She responded by charging him as well, her spear at the ready as the two massive powers clashed together. Sending another shockwave through the night sky.

* * *

Rias stood in the middle of a pile of feathers. What once was three powerful Fallen Angels had been reduced to nothing but ash.

"So many feathers. It looks like the forest is molting." Akeno stretched lazily, covering her mouth as a yawn escaped her lips. "Man, I'm beat. I haven't had to get a workout like that in awhile."

"Sorry to make you do all the work." Rias apologized, brushing off the hem of her skirt. "I just didn't want to reveal my power and alert Raynare to my presence until it was absolutely necessary."

It was then an overwhelming surge of energy blew their skirts up and shook the trees around them. Rias and Akeno gazed off in the direction of the Church, seeing two powerful figures clashing in the night sky. Illuminating the darkness with a magical fireworks display.

Akeno cupped a hand over her gaping mouth, her face flushing with arousal once more. "My my, but he has certainly grown in the last few hours. I can feel that from all the way over here."

Rias smiled, beaming with pride. "He's done it. Finally, my Pawn is coming into his own."

* * *

The fight was dragging out longer than she could have anticipated. Raynare was throwing everything she had at him and yet still he persisted. But it was all for not, in the end. Jonathan was starting to gas out. She could tell he was getting sloppy.

She dodged a few more wild attacks, keeping her distance and steadying her aim with one last spear of light. Raynare waited for an opportunity to emerge…

And chucked that thing straight and true, catching him right in the abdomen. Jon reeled back clutching at the gaping wound in his stomach.

"Looks like the end has finally come." She said with a wicked sneer. "It doesn't matter how much power you've gained, light is a poison to your kind. Merely touching it scorches your bodies. It is said that it is the most intense and worst pain a Devil can endure. So what do you think, is it true?"

As blood poured from his open wound, and the poison of the light spear seeped into his body, it became increasingly harder for him to maintain altitude.

"You know, Jon, all bullshit aside, I really am impressed." She admitted, folding her arms and drawing closer to him. "That power of yours really is something to be reckoned with. In time you may have proven to be a genuine threat if it had been allowed to go unchecked for much longer."

With his right hand Jon gripped at the spear and pulled. Raynare's eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

"What are you doing?!" She demanded.

He pulled the spear from his stomach, clutching it in his hands with a twisted look in his eyes. Slowly the wound began to cauterize and seal itself right in front of her.

"How are you able to do this?!" Her voice began to fill with panic. "This is impossible! That light should be burning you from the inside out!" Her fangs grew longer. "Tell me how you're doing that! You don't have the power to temper light! You are nothing!"

Jon soared into the air above her. With his left hand he conjured a massive fireball the size of a bus. Using his boost ability to stack its flames higher and higher.

After all of that, to think he still had the energy left to conjure up a spell of that magnitude. Raynare had made a big mistake, she needed to get out of their now! She quickly turned to flee right as he hurled the massive projectile at her.

"NO!" She quickly turned around and pushed both her hands out in front of her, forming a holy barrier between her and the inferno. The heat was too much, cracking through the barrier and scalding her skin. Just as it appeared she was about to be engulfed, she shrieked in rage and conjured forth as much power as she could muster, blasting it all from the palms of her hands and dispersing the massive fireball.

She reeled in horror at the site that awaited her once the flames had dispersed. Jon was still clutching that spear in his hand. Now aiming it directly at her.

"Let's see how you like it!" He roared, moments before hurling the deadly javelin directly at her.

It soared straight through her chest.

The light faded from her eyes and her aura of power all but vanished. Raynare opened her mouth to shout but only coughed up blood. A moment later, she began tumbling to the Earth below.

* * *

As Jon descended back into the Church, he gazed upon the seemingly lifeless body of Raynare. Her wings were gone, surrounded by a pile of her own feathers and a slowly increasing pool of blood. He landed a few feet away, his wings retracting into his back and his gauntlets and boots disappearing. His horns shriveled back into his head and the mark slowly retreated back into his left arm.

As his power faded away, his legs turned to jelly and he nearly tumbled over. Only to be caught by a familiar pair of lean strong arms.

"I gotcha." Kiba helped him up, giving Jon a shoulder to lean on. "I gotta say, you've outdone yourself. Look at you handling the big bad boss all on your own."

Relief, as well as exhaustion, washed over him as he slowly began to realize the war that had raged between them was finally over. He grinned back at Kiba. "And just what the Hell held you up?"

"I was instructed to stay back." Kiba explained. "Rias's orders. Sorry."

He peered at him questioningly. "Wait...seriously?"

"Seriously."

Jon turned to see Rias leaning against the far wall near the back of the Church. "I believed in you. I knew you could handle her with the right push."

"So all this really was a test?"

She walked up to Jon, who was still terribly confused, and wrapped her arms around him. Burying him between her chest in a warm embrace.

"I am so sorry I put you through that, my loyal Servant." She spoke sincerely, pain racked in her voice. "I saw no other way to draw out your full power."

Jon glowered, the pain he felt finally returning. "I fought as hard as I could, but still..." Tears began to well in his eyes again. "I failed. She's gone."

"We can bring her back."

A jolt shot through his entire body. Jon lifted himself up from Rias's arms and stared directly into her eyes. "What did you just say?"

She smiled up at him. "I said we can bring her back." Rias pulled a chess piece from her pocket. "This may not make much sense, but have you ever seen one of these before?"

Akeno appeared from behind Rias, her mood bright as always. "That one is called the Bishop." She explained. "The Bishop's position of power is to heal the other Devils of the Household. The President and I were discussing it, and we feel the timing is perfect. We could use a good Clergyman."

"But...but how? I mean…isn't she...you know…"

"Dead? Technically, yes." Rias explained. "But her soul hasn't passed on to Heaven yet."

"Her spirit is in limbo right now." Akeno added. "Waiting for the final deal to be made."

"Final deal?"

"Do you remember your little *ahem* romantic rendezvous?" Akeno asked, a devious grin on her face. "When the two of you hooked up that way it was essentially the same as her giving herself to you, spirit and all." She giggled at him teasingly. "You spilled virgin blood with your antics, that's powerful enough to form a Pact."

"And as you are a member of my Household, by extension, her soul belongs to me. If she had stayed pure, this would never have been possible." She placed a tender hand against his cheek. "I understand if you're still angry, but you should know Jon, Asia was never in any real danger. Her fate changed the moment she gave herself to you."

"You saved her life by fucking her brains out. How twistedly delightful is that?" Akeno asked, clearly far more excited by this than anyone else was.

In that moment, Jon suddenly felt a hundred pounds lighter. His eyes began to water again, this time however, for much different reasons. He grabbed Rias and held her close.

"Thank you." He whispered to her. "I'll never be able to...I just...thank you…"

She sighed contently, relaxing into his chest and closing her eyes. Drifting off into a little fantasy of her own. "You...don't have to thank me."

Akeno peered at the President curiously. 'I so freaking knew it!'

"Hey guys, she's still alive."

Koneko squatted down next to Raynare and began poking her with a stick.

"Stop that, you flat chested pygmy!" The Fallen Angel shouted in-between bouts of coughing up blood. Koneko ignored her and continued to poke as she saw fit.

With the burden of Asia's death now lifted from his shoulders, all of Jon's attention zeroed in on his Ex. He released Rias from his grip and began making his way over to the Fallen Angel. Kiba stopped him, offering the revolver he had lost downstairs.

"I've already reloaded it for you." He explained.

Jon nodded, taking the weapon from him and checking the cylinder. "Thank you, Kiba."

As he approached her near lifeless body, Koneko took a healthy step back. He aimed the revolver at Raynare and pulled back the hammer with an audible click.

She laughed painfully up at him, coughing and wheezing as blood began to fill her lungs. "Is this the ending you pictured, Jon? When you set out to kill me?" She coughed up more blood, her breath coming in shallow gasps. "This changes nothing. You'll still spend your whole life constantly watching over your shoulder until the day you die."

"Maybe so." He replied. "But at least now I don't have to die alone. Which is more than I can say for you right now."

She chuckled weakly. "It's funny you should mention that...actually." She gazed up at him, her cold expression beginning to soften. "Can I...make one final request? Before you shoot me?"

Jon scowled at her horribly. "I'd rather blow your brains out now and be done with it." He then reluctantly lowered his weapon. "But fine. Make it quick."

"I just wanna show you something." She raised her right hand into the air as far as her weak arms would let her, showing him her wrist.

His heart stopped in his chest. She was still wearing the bracelet he won for her at the Fair.

"I kept it." She smiled up at him. Not twistedly this time, there was sincerity behind that look. "Just like I said I would. I've had it on me this whole time."

"Should I care you kept a trophy?"

She shook her head weakly. "It wasn't a trophy. It was a memento." She chuckled again, causing herself to cough even more. "It's strange. No matter how many times I tried to convince myself...I just didn't have the will to take it off."

His entire frame began to shake uneasily. His skin turned pale. "Why tell me this?"

"You mean you still haven't figured it out? God, you really are dense." She tilted her head back as her vision began to fade. "I didn't just try to kill you because I feared your power. The truth is...I feared you as a man as well." She felt the last of her magic fading, the only thing keeping her alive. "You scared me, Jon. Specifically, the way you made me feel scared me."

"Fallen Angels don't have feelings like that." He insisted, still in denial of what it was he was hearing. "They only crave power."

"Exactly." She retorted, practically a whisper at this point. "I'm not supposed to feel things like what you made me feel anymore. That was part of the deal when I fell. All joy and light is taken away from you, and replaced with this ceaseless, gnawing hunger. In time, it becomes all you feel anymore. Like a junkie looking for their next fix...but with you..." Another violent coughing episode. "It started shortly after you won me this." She motioned to her bracelet again. "You said something to me, complimented my eyes or something stupid like that, and I got this warm feeling around me. I felt fuzzy all over. Sort of tingly, too. And for awhile, I felt something besides the hunger. It was something I hadn't felt in a long time." She looked up at him as best she could, a sly smirk on her face. "You made me feel...happy again, Jon. And it scared the hell out of me."

"Shut up!" He shouted, pointing the weapon back at her face, his hand trembling. "You don't get to do this! You don't get to put me through Hell and then try to worm your way back into my heart!"

"Come on now, Jon." She teased as the life drained away from her. "We both know how easy it is to get into your heart. All I'd have to do is slap on those big puppy dog eyes you loved so much and you were like putty in my hands."

His arm felt like it weighed a thousand tons. Try as he might, he couldn't do it. Jon lowered the revolver. "I can't forgive you for what you did. Dammit, why couldn't you just let the end be easy for me?"

"Sorry to ruin your big moment. But to be fair, revenge was never your strong suit." Her vision faded almost completely. "Jon...the truth is...all those things I said to you while we were dating…"

Yuma's smile returned, as did her eyes.

"I meant every word."

She may as well have been tossing another spear through his heart right now.

"So you see...I'm not dying alone."

She took her final breath.

"I'm dying...next to the man...I love."

And like that, she was gone. The Fallen Angel Raynare disappeared in a plume feathers. Leaving Asia's Sacred Gear behind.


	14. Epilogue

Jon sat in the Chapter Room of the ORC, staring down at his hat which he held in his hands. This is who he was now. For better or for worse he had effectively switched sides in the game of souls. His entire life, leading up to this. A Devil's Colt in the Infernal Army.

He inspected his Cowboy hat thoughtfully. Running his fingers through the two raven black feathers he had placed in the crown. They were still so soft. Just like her hair used to be.

"Morning, Jon." Rias, who had just finished showering and getting dressed, walked into the room and took a seat next to him on the couch. "I'm surprised you're up this early. How're you feeling?"

"Great, all things considering." He answered, finally putting his hat down on the table. "Thanks to Asia's power it's like that spear never went through me."

Rias helped herself to a cup of tea from the porcelain kettle on the coffee table. She added three sugars before bringing the cup up to her lips. "You seem to have a lot on your mind. Something bothering you?"

"I was just thinking, is all." He admitted, looking back down at the feathers in his hat.

"About her?"

"I was so determined to hate her for everything she did to me. And then right at the end, I find out she tried to destroy me because I made her feel happy?" He placed his hat down. "How am I supposed to feel about that?"

Rias gave him a look of understanding, setting her teacup down and turning towards him. "I know it won't make you feel better, but you should know I don't think it was you that scared her. But rather, what you represented."

He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Well think about it. You were able to do the impossible by making a Fallen Angel forget about her addiction to magical power. If you could make Raynare feel happy, then what else might you have been able to make her feel? Sadness? Pain? Remorse?" She took a sip of her tea. "...Guilt?"

"I still don't understand."

"Raynare had done such terrible things in her lifetime." Rias continued. "Committed countless atrocities all for the sake of gaining power. It's likely she was afraid that by allowing herself to get attached to you, she would one day have to own up to everything she had done. And that scared the Hell out of her."

"But why me?" He asked. "We had only been dating for a few months. How was it I was able to change everything?"

She smiled at him, placing a tender hand on his leg. "Because you are so much more than you give yourself credit for, Jon."

They sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Jon worked up the nerve to ask what had been on his mind for awhile.

"So question, if you don't mind."

She looked at him curiously.

"We're named after chess pieces, right? And I assume that a Peerage can be composed of the same number of chess pieces that are on the board, right?"

She nodded, taking another sip of her tea. "They can be, yes."

He frowned thoughtfully. "So if I'm a Pawn, then I guess that means you got room for seven more of me."

Rias set her tea down and gazed at him curiously, her mouth slightly ajar.

"Which is totally fine, by the way." He chuckled while scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I mean...it wouldn't exactly be chess if all you had was one Pawn right?" He laughed even more awkwardly, shaking his head. "Look, forget I said anything. I'm just joking around, I don't really-"

"You're the only Pawn I'm ever gonna need." She assured.

He gazed at her thoughtfully. "You mean that?"

She nodded, standing up and brushing the hem of her skirt. "When a Human or other creature becomes a Devil, the number of Evil Pieces they consume varies based on the latent power they already possess." She walked around the couch and bent down, wrapping her arms around his back. Letting him feel the full weight of her bust against his neck. "For you, the Evil Pieces I had remaining were one Knight, one Rook, one Bishop, and eight Pawns. So that is what I had to choose from. After I knew I wanted to bring you back as my servant I decided to use all eight of my pawns in order to save you."

"So...you sacrificed eight pieces just to have me?" He asked incredulously.

"It was a gamble." She admitted. "But I had a feeling your power alone was strong enough to replace every one of the others. Beings with your sort of potential are almost impossible to find, so I considered the sacrifice to be well worth the risk." She nuzzled her cheek against his ear, her breath hot against the side of his face. "Not to mention the sort of man you are, Jon. I consider the sacrifice to be nothing compared to the pleasure of owning you. It's not just your powers that made the sacrifice worth it. You are worth it."

His heart fluttered in his chest. "To think that I was never really even Human to begin with. I possess the soul of the Red Dragon Emperor. That's what you told me, right?"

She placed a hand on his cheek and turned him to meet her gaze. "The Crimson Haired Empress of Ruin, and the Red Dragon Emperor. I don't know if we could be more perfectly matched for each other."

Jon was completely entranced by the look she was giving him. "Yeah...go team Red." He joked.

"I have complete faith in your ability to spread my influence throughout the world. Consider it an order, my dear Servant.

His face was completely red, almost as red as the hair brushing against his cheek. "After everything you've done for me, I...I've decided I will follow any order you give, Ms. President. You have my word."

She leaned close, so much closer than she had ever gotten before, and kissed him on the forehead. A surge of energy coursed through his body, sending shivers up his skin.

"Just a little spell to strengthen your stamina." She teased. "After all, you'll need your strength to help better fulfill my orders. Also I'm going to have to stop coddling you or our newest member might become jealous."

"Jealous?" He asked her curiously.

"Umm, what's going on here?" A mousy little voice spoke up from behind him.

Jon blanched before turning around to see Asia trembling nervously, her arms crossed together and her cheeks rosy red. She sniffled slightly, her eyes already starting to glass over.

He lurched up out of his seat. "Oh! Asia, uhh...look it ain't what you're thinking. We were just chatting is all."

"That's how it always starts. It's okay, I know she's a lot prettier than me." She talked at a mile a minute while pressing her pointer fingers together nervously, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "And she'll probably do things I won't, so it makes sense that you'd like her more." She shook her head vehemently from side to side, her cheeks somehow getting even more red. "Oh! I shouldn't say things like that! I swear I'm not jealous, I'm just insecure!" She said even faster. Asia clasped her hands together and bowed her head. "Dear Lord, please forgive my sins of lust and-Gyah!" She cried out in pain before grasping her head and nearly tumbling to the floor.

"Ah shit!" Jon leapt over the couch and knelt down beside her. "You okay?"

"It felt like a knife just ran through my head!" She whined pitifully.

"Yeah I should have warned you about that." He apologized, rubbing her back reassuringly. "He ain't exactly receptive to prayers from our kind."

She groaned, finally managing to stand back up. "I forgot that. He's probably angry that I became a Devil, huh?"

"How do you feel about it?" Rias asked.

She smiled at the President. "Oh me? I don't have any regrets at all. I finally have friends now, and the best part is that Jon and I can be together forever. That's all I really ever wanted."

Jon nodded in agreement. "So about that uniform of yours."

"You like it?" She twirled around for him, the red mini-skirt floating up to give him a brief flash of her white panties. "What do you think?"

"It's great, but don't you have to be a student here to join the clubs officially?"

"You do." Rias confirmed. "My father's on the Campus Board of Directors so getting her enrolled as a transfer student wasn't a problem."

"Huh…" He chuckled. "Well that explains a lot."

"Good morning everyone." Kiba stepped through the door into the Chapter Room with Koneko walking in closely behind him, she was carrying a small wooden box and appeared to be uncharacteristically nervous.

"Morning Kiba." Jon offered. "Koneko."

She frowned, a small blush creeping over her cheeks before she nervously walked up to him and offered him the box. "I'm...almost happy you're not dead. Here."

Jon gave her an incredulous look, then stared down at the box, then back at her. "That may very well be the nicest thing you've ever said to me." He joked, taking the box from her graciously.

"Tsk!" She crossed her arms and turned her head away, her face still slightly flushed. "Whatever…"

Jon opened the box and his smile faded somewhat. Inside was his old Smith and Wesson. The last memento he had of his past.

"I found it on the ground after we battled Freed." She explained, still not looking at him. "I figured you'd want it back, so…"

"Thank you." He replied sincerely before reaching out to stroke her hair. "This really means a lot to me, Koneko."

"Pet me on the head and I will break your legs." She threatened coldly.

He snatched his hand away inches from her hair. "Okay okay, sheesh! I was just trying to show some gratitude."

Jon looked back down at his old gun. Though it was a shame he would probably never get to use it again, it was at least nice to know he had a memento of his past.

'Even if no one else is watching over me. Are you still there, Father Kyle?'

"Oh good, you're all here." Akeno wheeled a large serving tray into the room. "I ordered a cake for us to celebrate our newest member joining the family. "

"Oh guys, you shouldn't have!" Asia clutched at her heart, completely touched by the small gesture.

"Nonsense." Akeno assured. "You may be here mostly because of Jon, but that doesn't mean we aren't all thrilled to have you."

"Before we get too far into celebrating, Akeno. There's one last thing I'd like for us to do."

"Hmm?" She nodded. "Oh yes! Right, of course."

"What's she talking about?" Jon asked.

"Is it ready, Kiba?" Rias asked.

The blonde Knight nodded respectfully. "It certainly is. If everyone would please follow me."

* * *

"So when did we get a garage?" Jon asked as he followed the rest of the members of the ORC down into the basement.

"Around the same time you and Kiba decided to completely destroy the gym." Koneko responded, sounding somewhat irritated.

Jon and Kiba exchanged awkward smiles with one another. "Yeah...sorry about that."

"Oh trust us, sweetie. It was well worth it." Akeno replied with a devilish little smirk.

"I'd been looking for an excuse to build a workshop anyway." Kiba explained. "Really this just saved us the hassle of having to tear everything down."

"Is that what you want to show us?" Jon asked.

Rias shook her head. "Not exactly. We have a gift for you."

"For me?"

"Mhmm, you've done such an excellent job over the past couple of months I thought it appropriate to reward you. So Kiba and I pulled some strings and had something custom made." She explained.

As they made their way into the basement, Jon was greeted to the sight of a tarp covering a large mass beneath it. He beamed excitedly, almost a hundred percent certain he knew exactly what it was.

"You guys didn't!"

Kiba chuckled at him in amusement. "Oh yes, we did."

Jon removed the tarp and had to physically stop himself from laughing excitedly. Beneath the cover was a custom Harley Chopper with a 900 V-Twin engine, custom chrome tail pipes, and a pair of black leather saddle bags.

"It's beautiful."

"I didn't know you knew how to ride a motorcycle." Asia stated, inspecting the bike curiously.

"Father Kyle taught me how to ride his." Jon explained, taking a seat on the bike and gripping the handles. "I've always wanted one of my own, but never had the money or time."

"A Priest riding motorcycles?" Kiba asked in disbelief.

"Just because you're a man of God doesn't mean you can't have guilty pleasures." Akeno surmised.

He nodded agreeably. "That's fair, I suppose."

"So do you like it?" Rias asked.

Jon looked at the bike, and then back at the smiling happy faces surrounding him. It was hard not to be emotional, not just because of the bike, but because of what it represented.

This club was starting to feel a lot less like a cage, and more like a home.

"It's perfect…" He responded. Not talking about the bike.

"Well enough standing around!" Akeno clapped her hands together. "That cake isn't going to eat itself."

As the members of the ORC made their way back up to the Chapter Room for cake and celebration, a dark presence lurked on a nearby tree branch just outside Rias's office window.

"What a touching scene." The dark presence commented in an ominous tone, peering through his looking glass whilst carelessly twirling a glass of red wine. "Someone gag me."

From the other side of the glass, Rias peered out her office window just in time to see a bird fly away. A dreadful sense of unease washed over her.

No doubt about it. It was a Phoenix.

* * *

"Uggh! Get away creep!"

*Swat!*

Jon winced as his buddy Matsuda was once again slapped senseless. Swigging down the rest of his drink as the dejected college student slumped back to the bar.

"Struck out again, did you?"

"It's just no use, Jon." He moped, resting his chin on the bar dejectedly. "I'm never gonna get a girl to like me."

Jon took out a cigarette and popped it into his mouth, lighting it with his M-16 lighter. "You'll get there buddy. One day. I have no doubt."

"I'm not so sure." Motohama looked down too. He had barely even touched his Vodka and Mountain Dew. "Maybe we're just too weird to ever get to be with a beautiful woman."

He sighed, shaking his head at his two glowering friends. "Honestly, you may be right."

Matsuda and Motohama both glared at him.

"Hey! What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Matsuda flared.

Jon shrugged, taking another puff of his smoke. "Have you ever considered that maybe the reason you two keep striking out is because you're going after the wrong kinda women?"

They peered at him curiously. "I don't get it. What other kind of women are there?" Motohama asked.

At that moment his phone went off. Jon pulled it out and looked to see he had received a text from Rias.

"Ah, shit. I gotta ride, yall." He stood up to leave, paying his tab before heading for the door.

"Jon, wait!" Matsuda stood up. "Just tell us what you meant by that first!"

He chuckled at them, turning around and taking the cigarette from his mouth. "You really want my advice? Get the hell outta this bar, and go find you a manga convention. Or a video game store. There are plenty of chicks out there just as weird and nerdy as you two, who I'm sure would love to make your acquaintance and indulge in all the same weird and nerdy stuff you like.

"You really think that will work?" Motohama sounded skeptical.

Jon nodded. "Now I'll tell you, they ain't gonna be like what you're picturing. Some will be a little cuter than others, some will be a little stranger, but that's just cause they're human. They have flaws, same as you. It's your duty as a man to be able to look past those flaws and see them all for the beautiful women they truly are."

"But...what if that's too hard?" Matsuda asked, having clearly already considered this before.

"Then you've already forgotten my #1 rule, gentleman."

"Rule #1 of Jonathan Hyodo's guide to the fairer sex." Motohama recited, a small smile on his face. "His golden rule, above all other rules."

"It ain't always about you." Jon finished for him before turning to leave, tapping the ashes of his cigarette onto the floor. "You boys really wanna find your own happiness? You better start by making someone else happy first."

He took a few more steps before they stopped him again.

"Just one more question." Matsuda asked. "How come you don't have to follow these rules? You seem to be able to get whatever girls you want. Why can't we do that?"

He turned his head back to them, tipping his hat to cover his eyes. "I just told you. Yall are human."

"And you're not?"

Jon left without saying a word. Leaving Matsuda and Motohama behind, still terribly confused.

"Sooo, you wanna ditch this place and go check out the new Manga Store across the street?" Motohama offered.

"Hell yeah! Let's go hit on some nerdy chicks!"

They both settled up their tabs and and left the bar. Oblivious to the fact that Jon had been listening the entire time from outside. As they ran past him and down the street, he turned to the two ladies in maid outfits.

"Right, those two are the guys." He explained. "Just go in, say hi, and listen to whatever it is they're gonna geek out about. Pretend to be interested for a little while and then take them back to this Hotel." He gave one of the girls a piece of paper with an address on it. "Tell the bellhop Rias Gremory sent you, he'll know what to do."

"Got it." One of the maids nodded in understanding.

"Also, here's a little something extra for your trouble." He pulled out a large wad of cash and offered it to them.

"Hold on. This is almost double our normal rate." One of the maids gawked in disbelief.

He nodded before turning and beginning to walk away. "You ladies don't make nearly enough for the amount of bullshit us men make you put up with. Consider it a gift."

She clutched the money to her chest, a blush creeping over her cheeks. "That's so sweet of you. Are you like an Angel, or something?"

He stopped, a devious smile creeping over his lips as his eyes began to glow red.

"Something like that."

Jon walked back to the parking lot where his new Harley was waiting for him. He tossed his smoke on the ground and stubbed it out, checking the saddlebags to make sure his spare ammo boxes were in place. As well as checking the secret compartment where he kept his rifle. With everything good to go he straddled his bike and revved the engine. A burst of twin flames ignited from the tailpipes as he took off into the night.

**::Final Note::**

**So here we are. The end of Arc One. As I said in chapter thirteen, there is no need to fret. Arc two will be right around the corner. This work may be finished, but the story is far from over. **

**I want to thank all my viewers, followers, and those who favorited and reviewed the first Arc of my writing. I would like to also call out a special thanks to my absolutely amazing girlfriend. She's been my proofreader and biggest critic throughout the work and has put up with my obsessive and neurotic habits to help see this work come to fruition and words cannot express how much her support means to me.**

**Arc Two will be coming soon. Remember to follow and favorite the writing if you would like to help support its continued growth. The feedback really does help me improve the quality of my writing, and helps my creative thought process.**

**Look forward to the second Arc "**_**The Devil's Colt: Ashes of the Phoenix." **_**Some time within the next few days. In the meantime,** **speak soft, keep your gun loaded…**

**And remember to pack extra ammo.**

_**Megawrath**_


End file.
